Finding forever
by helaluvE
Summary: A prelost fic. our lovely losties are trying to live their lives going through a lot espacially Jack who found his world turn upside down by the arrival of mysterious brunette. Chapter 16 is UP! Sorry for the delay.
1. The new girl

Disclaimer: I don't own lost, I never did and certainly never will…

A/N: Hey guys, I'm Héla. This is my first Lost fanfic (and hopefully not the last!). I really hope you'll enjoy it, just let me know what you think (bad, good, funny, sarcastic or lovely reviews, I don't mind just keep them coming… they really help me; especially since I'm not a native speaker.)

It's a prelost fic. I think it involves all of our lovely losties. There will be a lot of love, friendship and just a little drama. Enough rambling, here's the first chapter and please, don't forget to review. 

_**Chapter one: The new girl.**_

The sun was slowly falling down in the Los Angeles sky. In an apartment, not far from UCLA, a group of friends was getting ready for dinner. Jack and Sayid were standing in the kitchen; making dinner while Sawyer, Charlie and Hurley were sitting in the living room playing at the Playstation.

"So they finally found someone?" Jack asked Sayid, passing him the fifteen plates he was carrying.

"Yeah." He answered, beginning to set the table.

"Please, tell me it's not a guy!" Charlie pleaded with such a desperate tone that it made the rest of them chuckle.

"Charlie, Shannon has a boyfriend and so does Claire…" Jack began

"You don't need to remind me!" he said bitterly.

"…do you really believe they would want another guy bothering them?" Jack finished ignoring Sayid's protests.

"It happened before." Charlie said throwing a killing look at Sawyer.

"How many times do I have to tell you this? I wasn't their roommate. I needed a place to crash and jack wasn't here… hell why do I have to explain this to you? You're not Claire's boyfriend." He said smirking and Charlie threw him a handful of popcorn.

"No, it's not a guy, Charlie." Sayid said, keeping Sawyer from saying another unpleasant remark.

"Did you saw her?" Hurley asked, trying hard not to laugh at the sight of Charlie sad expression.

"Yeah, I saw her two days ago when I went to pick up Shannon. Her name's Kate, she seemed nice." He said shrugging.

"Nice? That's it? What about you give us some details?" Sawyer said.

"Well, I don't have many details. She's a 24 little brunette with curly hair and green eyes. She's moved in three days ago and the girls like her so far." At that moment, they heard someone open the front door and Jin and Sun came in.

"Here comes the happy couple." Sawyer teased.

"Shut up Sawyer!" Sun said giggling.

"Hello to you too, Sunshine." He replied smirking. She hugged all of them and went to help Jack and Sayid in the kitchen.

"So, what are today's gossips?" Jin asked while Hurley, Charlie and Sawyer turned off their game.

"Kate." Charlie replied.

"Who's Kate?"

"It's Claire and Shannon's new roommate, honey. I told you that!"

"Oh yeah, that's right." Jin said remembering a conversation he had with his wife two days ago.

With that, they all helped finish dinner and waited for the other to arrive. Michael and his new girlfriend Marissa (a beautiful brunette with stunning blue eyes) followed by Libby and Lilly then Boone all arrived before 8:00 PM.

"I forgot the bread." Jack said getting up. Before he came back from the kitchen, he heard the front door being open one more time and girly giggles coming from the hallway. Shannon, Claire began the introduction.

"Kate, this everybody. Everybody, this is Kate." Claire said cheerfully.

"You already met Sayid." Shannon said pointing at her boyfriend who waved at Kate. She waved back. "Next to him, and featuring his usual smirk you have Sawyer; Jack's best friend."

"Hello Freckles!" Sawyer said greeting her.

"Hi." She replied shyly

"Over there you have Sun and her husband Jin." Claire said pointing at them and they both got up and shook her hand.

"Next to them there's my brother Boone." He charmingly smiled at her and she smiled back. "Don't mind him!" Shannon added rolling her eyes.

"Hey I'm Charlie!" he said smiling and getting up to shake her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Kate… a girl." He added his grin spreading even more on his face. "And this is Hurley" he added, pointing at his roommate.

"It's nice to meet you too Charlie." She said smiling, a little confused. "And you too Hurley."

"I'm Michael and this is my girlfriend Marissa." Michael said smiling. This was a lot to take in for Kate. She never met so much people in such a little time, yet she had travelled a lot.

"I think we're missing someone." Claire said putting a finger over her mouth and looking around the table.

"Here I am." Jack said entering the living room, a basket of slice bread in his hand. He smiled at Claire and Shannon and his gaze finally got to Kate. His mouth went dry and he quickly put the basket of bread on the table before anyone could notice his hands were shaking. He looked up at her again and drawn himself in her beautiful green eyes. Kate felt a little embarrassed by the way he was looking at her. Nobody had ever looked at her like that. She tried to look down but her eyes were hypnotised by his lovely hazel ones. For a few seconds, time seemed to stand still. Coming back to reality, he realised he had not introduced himself. He was about to do it when Claire cut him off.

"Ah! Jack! Let me introduce you to our new roommate, Katherine Austen. Kate this is the soon to be doctor, Jack Shepherd." She was beaming. Kate frowned at the way she introduced them. She put so much heart in it. She looked at Shannon but she was smiling as widely as Claire was. Jack came closer to them and held his hand out to Kate.

"It's… um…it's nice to meet you." He said clearing his throat while she shook his hand. He ignored the shiver he felt.

"It's nice to meet you too." she replied smiling up at him.


	2. Getting to know them

Disclaimer: I still don't own Lost (I would me in Foxy's arms if it was the case hehehe!)

A/N: Here's chapter two. Please let me know what you think, reviews always make me go all warm and fuzzy lol.

_**Chapter two: Getting to know them.**_

Kate tried to regain her composure and was about to sit down next to Claire and Shannon when she realised that the only seat left was between Jack and Sawyer. She took a deep breath and sat between them. She took off her jacket revealing her bare arms and looked around her. Shannon was kissing Sayid on the cheek and Claire was laughing with Charlie. Jin was holding Sun's hand and she was smiling at him. Hurley, Boone and Sawyer seemed to be having a very interesting and heated conversation about sport while Michael, Marissa, Lilly and Libby were talking about the exhausting week they had. Then she, eventually, aloud herself to look at Jack again. They smiled at each other. She had never seen such a sweet and genuine smile before. Realising she was starring, she quickly turn her eyes away.

"So what did you guys prepared?" Boone asked Jack and Sayid.

"It smells really good!" Libby added.

"Sayid made one of his specialities." Jack said grinning at them. "It's called '_délice de Baghdad'. _He said sounding like a five stars restaurant's waiter and pointed at the dish in the centre of the table. It was meat with vegetables and cheese attended with semolina.

"Awwww honey, you remembered!" Shannon said putting her arms around her boyfriend's neck. She turned to look at Kate. "Today's is our anniversary and the first time we had dinner, he had prepared the same thing." She explained grinning and Kate smiled. Sayid kissed Shannon.

"Happy second anniversary." He whispered smiling.

"Happy second anniversary." She repeated dreamily. "I'll thank you more later." She said in a seducing tone and he grinned widely.

"And what did you do, Doc?" Sawyer asked his best friend. Jack rolled his eyes at him.

"Would you please stop calling me that?" he asked his eyebrow rose.

"No." Sawyer simply answered, smirking as usual and Jack laughed.

"I made pies." He said grinning at Claire. Her eyes lit up and she clapped in her hands. "Blueberry and apple."

He added.

"You know I love you?" She said smiling.

"Yeah I know!" he said smirking at Charlie but he had not noticed. He was looking at Claire lovingly, enjoying the sound of her happy giggles.

"Let's get started!" Hurley said, getting up and began to serve the others. They begun with the potato salad the girl had brought.

"It's delicious Claire." Jack said after two bites.

"Kate did it." She said winking at her. Jack looked at Kate and smiled.

"Well, good job, Freckles."

"Thanks Sawyer." she said smiling. Deciding it was time to start making conversation she asked: "Do you cook?" everybody, except her and Sawyer burst out with laughter.

"Yeah he does but I won't eat anything coming from him." Jack said, hardly containing his laughter. "Unless… you wanna die a horrible death!" he added and Kate laughed.

"Shut up Jack-o!"

"It's true!" Charlie said and they all nodded in agreement not able to stop laughing.

"I can make sandwiches!" Sawyer said defensively and that make them all laugh harder.

"What else do you do?" Kate asked when everyone had calmed down. He looked at her confused. "I mean what's you job?"

"I'm a seller." He said bitterly. She looked confused by his tone. "Long story." He added.

"How did you guys meet?" she asked feeling more and more comfortable around the group.

"Jack and Sawyer were friends since kindergarten." Shannon said. "The two of them were in high school with Sun, Jin, Michael and Ana Lucia –who's not here tonight because she's at work…"

"She's a cop." Charlie added grinning. Kate nodded, chuckling.

"Then Jack went to College and this how he met me, his roomy." Sayid said smiling.

"Charlie and I were their neighbours, before Jack became a resident and Sayid began his work." Hurley said

"What do you do?" Kate asked Sayid, curious.

"I'm an electronics engineer."

"A doctor, a seller, a cop and an engineer… what else do you got?" Kate asked chuckling.

"You have no idea, Sweetcheecks!" Sawyer said.

"Where were we?" Claire asked herself ignoring Sawyer's remark. "Ah yeah right…Jack and Sayid got a bigger apartment and that's how they met us." The blonde announced cheerfully. Shannon, Claire and now Kate were Sayid and Jack's neighbours; they lived three floors up from them. "Sayid and Shan began to date soon after that. You're still with me?" Kate nodded and turned to Libby.

"What about you?" she asked the women who had not spoke a lot.

"She's my girl." Hurley announced proudly and Libby smiled. "We met a year ago, when I needed help." He said smiling genuinely at her. The blonde smiled at her boyfriend and put a peck on his lips.

"And Lilly is a model, she was a good friend of mine before she became a very good friend to every one else." Shannon said. Boone's sister wanted to become an actress but it was not as easy as it seemed. While waiting for her chance and passing auditions, Shannon was posing for famous magazine and that is how she met Lilly; a tall, brunette with rich brown yes and full pink lips.

"How come you didn't celebrate your anniversary?" Kate asked Shannon and her boyfriend.

"You mean this dinner isn't special enough?" Jack asked her, faking offense.

"It's not that." She replied smiling and he felt his heart drop at the sight of her sweet smile. "It's just that a second anniversary is something pretty big, don't you think?"

"It is, but our Sunday night dinners are too." he said very seriously. She raised an eyebrow.

"It's tradition." He explained.

"It is as important as Christmas or birthdays." Charlie said.

"Blablabla…" Sawyer said annoyed.

"Don't be a hater!" Sun said.

"Especially when you never missed one!" Jack pointed out smirking.

"I'm here for the food."

"Because you can't cook." Kate added smirking and they all laughed. "Who established the tradition?"

"No one." Jack said. "At first we all gather around at the end of the week and then it became like a bad habit." He said and she laughed.

"What about you Kate?" Jin asked and she looked down, avoiding their eyes. She tried to find something to say but Claire saved her from that.

"It's top secret!" she said laughing.

"It's not top secret…" Kate said blushing a little. She was not used to this kind of situation. Even though she was a nice person and was able to socialize easily, most of the time, she preferred to stay on her own. Being starred at by fourteen quasi-strangers was quite disturbing for her. Moreover, she was not the kind of person who liked to share her past. She never did and she will not start now, no matter how comfortable she felt seating with them. _'It won't last.'_ She thought bitterly. Jack noticed her embarrassment and changed the subject.

"How's work, Sun?"

"Good. The kids are really excited by next week's trip." She said smiling widely.

"Where are you going?" Lilly asked; she loved Sun's job.

"To the zoo." She replied.

"You're a teacher?" Kate asked

"Yeah; 4th grade." She answered and Jin smiled. His wife was the nicest and sweetest person he had ever met. She was made to be a teacher; he could not imagine her doing anything else. She loved children and they loved her just as much.

"The last time I went to a zoo it was in England." Charlie said with a dreamy voice. "I'm British." He added to Kate.

"I figured that out." She said chuckling lightly. "You're accent was pretty obvious. When did you come to the States?" she asked.

"Hum… about six years ago." He answered. "I studied music here and I became a music teacher." He said proudly before taking a sup from his vine glass. Claire smiled.

"And how long have you guys been dating?" Kate asked. Charlie nearly choked and Claire blushed slightly and deliberately avoided Charlie's eyes.

"Uh… we're not…" she tried, shaking her head.

"Oh, sorry." Kate said, sounding sorry. "You said you had a boyfriend… I-I just thought…"

"It's ok, Freckles." Sawyer said smirking even more than usual (if it was possible), clearly delighted by Kate's mistake. "They're acting like a couple anyway."

"Shut up, James." Claire said angrily. At the sound of his real name, Sawyer tensed but did not reply. "My boyfriend is Thomas. He's not here tonight." She said turning back to Kate.

"He's not there a lot." Charlie pointed out annoyed at the mention of Claire's boyfriend.

"Don't start!" the blonde warned him and he looked down at his hands.

"Sorry." He muttered.

"It's ok." She said sweetly, forgetting her anger when she saw his sad expression. "As we are on that topic…Jack, where's Sarah?" she asked. Kate felt the atmosphere change so quickly that it scared her. No matter who this Sarah was or who she was to Jack, it seemed obvious to her that she was not appreciated. Even Jack lost the sparkles in his beautiful eyes at the mention of her name.

"Dunno… she said she was going out with her friends tonight." He said gloomily.

"Yeah right!" Shannon said sarcastically.

"Don't start!" he warned her, with the same tone that Claire used with Charlie.

"It's not a secret." Sawyer said. "You're girl doesn't like our company." Kate felt her heart drop in her chest. He had someone in his life and even if his friends did not like her, it was obvious that he cared for her a lot. _'Why do you care anyway?'_ she thought, surprised by her own thoughts.

"Not that it matter." Shannon finished for sawyer bitterly.

"Please guys…" Jack pleaded tiredly.

"It's delicious, Sayid." Kate said changing the subject, just as he did for her a few minutes ago. Jack smiled softly at her and she smiled back.

"Thank you." Sayid replied smiling lightly.

"It's nice to know that some men can cook." She said glancing at Sawyer, mirroring his smirk.

"Just wait to taste Jack's pies." Claire said winking at them. "They are absolutely amazing."

"I paid her to say that." Jack said laughing.

'I can't wait to taste them."

"Well if the others are done, we can pass to desert now." He said and they all agreed.

He got up to get the pie from the kitchen and Sun helped him. She was gathering the plates when she spoke.

"You're Ok?" she asked concerned by the change in his mood.

"Yeah I'm fine." He said putting on a fake smile.

"Jack, please don't fake- smile me; it's insulting. I know you too well." She reminded him and he smiled sadly.

"It's just hard… and the worst part is that it's going to be harder. I can't understand what it is that I'm doing wrong!" he said frustrated.

"I know." She said compassionately. "Why don't you try to talk to her?" she asked.

"I will." He said before turning back to his pies. "Let's go back, before Claire dies from eagerness." He said smiling and she laughed. Before they walked back to the living room she grabbed him by the arm and looked into his tired and sad eyes.

"I don't think you're doing anything wrong." She said smiling and he smiled back.

"Thanks." He whispered.

"You're welcome." She whispered back, rubbing his arm.

When they got back, they found Libby and Boone clearing the table. Kate had proposed to help but they refused. A few minutes later, they were all sampling the pies. Claire was moaning with pleasure every time she put a slice in her mouth. Kate was smiling at her but she could not agree with her more, if she was not in presence of so many people, new people moreover, she probably would be moaning as well.

"Jack, you're a genius… a pie genius." Claire said getting up before putting a light kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you." He said chuckling.

"Oh no! Than YOU!" she said and they all laughed. "I've been begging for him to cook pie for like a year but he kept saying he was too busy."

"I'm a 3rd years resident in surgery; I am busy." He pointed out.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm busy too; I've a memoir to finish but I always find the time for food." Claire was studying psychology.

"By the way, how is it going? Did you found everything I've shown you?" Jack asked her. He had helped her with a medical case a few weeks ago.

"It's going great and thanks again for your help." She said smiling and he nodded.

"No problem. What could be more fun that help you go through a completely disturbed and irrational mind?" he said and she chuckled.

"Exactly!"

They finished desert and began to clear up the table. Lilly and Sawyer washed the dishes and the rest of the group gathered in the living room talking and laughing about their week. Kate could not remember the last time she laughed that much, these people were really nice. What surprised and pleased her the most was their closeness. They were very different from each other but it did not seem to be a problem for them. She felt something she did not feel in quite a long time; peace. They made her feel comfortable and welcome, a feeling she had forgotten a long time ago. She knew it was partly her fault, never staying in the same place for more than six months did not help bounding with people.

Jack could not help but look at Kate, even when she was not speaking. Her beauty was mesmerizing. He loved how her chocolate curls fell on her shoulder, the way she smiled, the depth of her green eyes and the sound of her sweet laughter. He did not know why but he felt attracted to her and not just in a physical way. Everything in her was appealing. He could not forget the cold look she got when Jin asked her to talk about her. He knew that the last thing he needed or wanted now was another person to care and to worry about but he did not mind at all as long as this person was Kate.

At 11:30, Boone got up and yawned.

"I didn't have much sleep yesterday and I have to work early tomorrow." He grabbed his car keys and turned to Lilly. "Do you want a ride home?" he asked.

"No, it's ok. Sawyer is going to bring me back home but thanks." She said smiling and he nodded.

"Kate it was a real pleasure to meet you." Boone added turning to her.

"Thanks, see you soon." He nodded.

"Absolutely. Guys, see ya all next Sunday and I see the men on Thursday, right?" everybody nodded and Boone took off.

"What's Thursday?" Marissa asked.

"We're playing basketball." Michael replied. "I think I'm gonna follow Boone." He added as he and Marissa got up.

"So are we." Sun said.

"Thank you guys for dinner." Jin said. The four of them quickly said good buys and left. Hurley, Libby, Sawyer, Lilly and Charlie followed them. Sayid, Jack, Claire, Shannon and Kate stayed together a little longer.

"Oh my god, Jack!" Claire said her eyes widening.

"What?" he asked worriedly.

"You're still up!" and they all laughed except Kate who seemed a little confused.

"He's usually the first one to go to bed, always leaving us even before Boone." Shannon explained.

"Well, we had company tonight." He said softly and Kate could not hide the smile that appeared in her face.

Shannon and Claire exchanged a meaningful look, which did not go unnoticed by Sayid who smiled, knowing what the young women had in mind.

"Not to mention that he has a day off tomorrow." Sayid added smirking and they laughed.

"Thank god!" Claire said. "You look so tired." She added concerned.

"That's why I'm planning on doing one and only one thing tomorrow."

"Sleeping!" Shannon, Claire and Sayid chorused and Kate and Jack chuckled. Claire turned to her roommates.

"We better get going too." she said. "I have an important exam tomorrow afternoon and I want to be ready." Kate nodded and got up and glanced at Shannon who had not moved.

"I'm staying here tonight." Shannon said grinning at Sayid and Kate laughed lightly.

"Thanks so much Jack for the pies." Claire said throwing her thin arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"You're welcome." He said smiling. He turned to Kate and held his hand to her. "It was nice meeting you." He said smiling genuinely and looking right into her beautiful green eyes.

"It was nice to meet you too." she replied never breaking eyes contact. _'Oh my god! These eyes!'_ she thought. She quickly let go off his hand and turned to Sayid who smiled at her.

"Thanks for having me, it was really nice." She said smiling and for once, meaning every word.

"It was our pleasure." And he shook her hand as well. Claire put her arms through Kate's and led her to the door. They waved one more time at them and then left.

Jack got up and began to clear the coffee table while Shannon sat on Sayid laps and began to "thank" him for remembering their anniversary. When he finished he went to his bedroom to take a quick shower before heading to bed. He had just taken off his shirt when he heard a knock at the door. He arrived shirtless in the living room but the couple was too busy kissing to notice. He saw Kate's jacket on one of the chair and thought Claire must have come back to take it. He grabbed it and went to open the door.

"Hi Jack…" she trailed off when her eyes fell upon his bare and muscular chest. Her eyes travelled up and down his body and she felt her stomach flip flopped when she saw his tattooed arm. She tried to avert her eyes away but it was more difficult than it seemed. _'I love tattoos'_ she thought and could not help the smile that appeared on her face once again. She took a deep breath, looked up at him again, and was surprise to find him smirking. He put his free hand on the frame of the door and waited for her to speak. It was nice to be checked out, especially by Kate, the beautiful and sexy Kate. She swallowed and finally opened her mouth to speak, now that she remembered why she was here.

"Hi." She repeated, cursing herself for blushing.

"Hi." He said, clearly amused.

"Nice tattoos." She said grinning.

"Thanks." He said smiling.

"I just came back to check…uh I mean to get my jacket." She said stuttering and turning redder at her mistake. He chuckled lightly and gave her the jacket. She quickly took it and muttered a "Good night" before leaving. He closed the door and leaned on it. He smiled at himself before heading back to his bedroom. Shannon and Sayid glanced at him curiously as he walked through the living room, chuckling.

"Who was it?" Shannon asked.

"Kate." He said. "'Night, guys!" he said cheerfully.

"'Night." They replied smiling. When Jack's bedroom door closed behind him, Sayid looked at his girlfriend.

"I never saw him smile like that with his Ice queen!" he pointed out, referring to Sarah.

"I know." She said giving him a meaningful look before brushing her lips against his once more. He pulled her closer to him and deepened the kiss.

A/N: hope you liked it, please tell me you did! I love writing this fic!

Thanks again to those who reviewed I really appreciated it. Lu ya! I'll try to update as soon as possible.


	3. Damsel in distress

Disclaimer: I don't own Lost blablabla…

A/N: this is my second update of the day so make sure you read chapter 2 before this one. Enjoy.

_**Chapter three: Damsel in distress.**_

Kate woke up the next morning, the smell of hot coffee surrounding her. She smiled and buried her face in her soft and warm pillow. It felt good. It felt so good that it almost scared her. She was not supposed to be enjoying this; she could not. This place was like every other one she has been to. She would stay for a little while and then leave, just like she always did. Getting used to be sleeping in a warm and comfortable bed was not aloud to her; not anymore. She pushed those dark thoughts away and got up to get dressed. As she put her shirt on, the image of a shirtless Jack reappeared in her mind. She grinned and buttoned her shirt.

"Hi!" she greeted her roommates as she entered the kitchen. "You're already back?" she asked Shannon.

'I am." She said smiling. Kate poured herself a cup of coffee and sat next to them. "Sayid was working early today and I didn't want to disturb Jack." Kate nodded and looked down at her cup, trying to hide the grin that appeared on her face at the sound of Jack's name but in vain. "Speaking of Jack…what happened yesterday?" Shannon asked smiling.

"What do you mean?" Claire and Kate asked at the same time, the brunette sounded more alarmed than the blonde. Shannon looked at Claire and grinned.

"Well yesterday, just after you took off, Kate came back…"

"Yeah I know, she forgot her jacket." Claire said.

"Well I think our friend made quite an impression on Kate."

"Uh… you lost me on that one. Mind to elaborate?" Claire asked frowning.

"Well, I guess Jack was going to take a shower, so when he opened the door he was shirtless." She said maliciously. A flash of understanding crossed Claire's eyes and they widened.

"Uh… I'm still here, you know?" Kate said annoyed, raising up her hand.

"So, you saw his tattoos?" Claire asked. Kate nodded and blushed.

"It's not a big deal. I have seen naked men before."

"Yeah but I bet none of them were like Jack." Shannon said smirking. Claire eye's widened.

"I'm sure Sayid would be glad to hear that." She said laughing lightly.

"Come on, I love Sayid, but we all had a crush on the hot and handsome doctor when we first met him." Claire blushed but did not reply. "Anyway, Jack seemed to really appreciate your little visit. He could not stop smiling!" Shannon explained. "So what happened?" she asked eagerly.

"Nothing happened." Kate said, sounding harsher than she had meant to. "I just took my Jacket and left." She lied.

"Yeah, right." Shannon said sarcastically. "Whatever, I have to get ready for work. See you guys tonight." "See ya." Kate and Claire replied.

"I gotta go as well. I have a class in less than twenty minutes." Claire said. "What are you going to do?" She asked her roommate.

"I have some cleaning up to do and there's still a lot of my stuff in my car; I think it's time to bring them up." Claire nodded and was about to get up but hesitate and throw an unsure look at Kate.

"You know what? This class is not that important. I'll just stay with you." She said smiling.

"What? You're kidding right?" Kate said surprised. "I'm a big girl Claire; I can take care of myself. I always did." She said almost sadly.

"You're Okay?" the blonde said, her blue eyes full of concern.

"Yeah I'm Okay. Don't worry. Go get ready or you'll be late." Claire nodded and gave her smile.

Ten minutes later Kate was sitting on the couch alone sipping in her coffee. She sighed deeply and took a look around her. It has only been three days but she knew this time it was going to be different. This time, it will be much harder to leave. Shannon and Claire were adorable and yesterday evening was on of the best she had in years. _'Three days…'_ she thought. _'That's all it took to these people to make me feel more at home here than I've ever been anywhere else.'_ She leaned her head back and looked at the ceiling. Maybe it was time to settle down somewhere and maybe this was the right place to do it. Once more, she looked around her. Their apartment was smaller than Sayid and Jack's one but it was as welcoming. Shannon and Claire shared a bedroom. They always did, even when Lilly were their roommate. The two blondes grew up together and they were like sisters so they really did not mind sharing a room. Lilly moved away a couple of months ago when her mother became sick and went back to leaving with her. She was not planning to come back soon so Claire and Shannon decided to look for another roommate. Kate's room was opposite of them next to the small kitchen and like in the boys' apartment the living room was in the centre, surrounded by windows. The walls were made of white and yellow brick and the girl had hung several painting. It was as girly as a girl apartment could be (especially Shannon and Claire's room, which was entirely pink; from the drapes to the pillows) but Kate did not mind. It was the best she had ever had and she was not going to complain. She finished her coffee and began to clean up. When she was done, she went to her car and began to bring some of the boxes up. When she came back to her car the third time she found Jack leaning against it.

"'Morning." He said smiling.

"'Morning." She replied smiling back. "What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to sleep all day?" she asked.

"Sleeping is not really my thing." He replied. "I was looking through my windows, drinking a coffee when I saw you." He explained

"And you thought you'd come here, help the damsel in distress." She said teasingly.

"You don't look like a damsel in distress at all." He said seriously and she smiled. "I was just bored; I thought I could spend my time carrying heavy boxes."

"In that case…" Kate came closer to her truck and passed him the last but not the lighter box.

"Thank you." She said smiling.

"You're welcome." He said smiling genuinely before walking to the door. She watched him walk away and smiled at herself.

A/N: woo! Two chapters in one day! This one is a lot shorter but I like it this way.

Coming soon: Claire's sickness, Lilly and Sawyer and the return of (the ugly) Sarah.

Please review, tell me what you think, it's really important for me!


	4. A funny lunch

Disclaimer: the first 50th time it was funny but now, it's not anymore… I DON'T OWN LOST !

A/N: thank you guys for the reviews, you're all so great! Here's chapter four with a lot of Jateness.

_**Chapter four: A funny lunch.**_

Jack settled the box on Kate's bed and walked back to the living room. He found her leaning over a box full of books and could not keep his eyes from travelling along her thin legs. She turned around suddenly and caught him starring.

"Are you checking me out?" she asked chuckling and he joined her.

"Believe me; you'd know if I was checking you out."

"Then I know." She replied smirking.

"Oh you can talk, miss 'I like your tattoos'" he said looking intently at her. She blushed a little but she did not break eye contact.

"I was only interested in an artistic level." She said and they both chuckled again before letting a comfortable silence fall between them. She turned around and began to take the book out of the box to put them on one of the living room's rack.

"Do you need some help?" he asked putting his hands on his hips.

"Sure." She said smiling and handed him a couple of books.

They finished unpacking her things and he sat down on his favourite armchair, the one he would always seat in when he comes to see the girls, while she prepared coffee.

"So, do you like it here?" he asked her when she handed him a cup.

"Yeah, it's really nice." She answered smiling and seating down on the couch opposite to him. "Claire and Shannon are great."

"Yeah they are." He said nodding.

"You guys seem to be so close. I mean I've only known you for like…" she looked at her watch, "twenty hours," he chuckled, "but what I've seen yesterday was pretty amazing. It was like watching an episode of Friends." She said half teasing.

"I like that show." He said defensively.

"Me too." she said smiling softly. "You are so different from each other, yet you are friends." He nodded and smiled.

"I don't think it's that impressive. After all, it's rare to found friends who are perfectly alike. Plus don't be fooled by what you saw yesterday, it took us quite a time to get where we are today." He finished more seriously. She took another sip of her coffee and thought that through. "And we are not that different, we have at least one thing in common."

"Really? What is it?" she asked intrigued.

"We were all, at least at one point in our lives…" he paused, searching for the right word and it came out on its own, "…lost."

"Lost?" she asked and he nodded. "I know the feeling." She whispered almost sadly.

"Then you're a perfect candidate to join our club." He said smiling and she smiled back. Silence fell between them again but neither of them seemed to mind. They kept sipping in their coffee, enjoying each other's company.

"I've never been to L.A before." She said after a little while. "I've travelled a lot but always lived in small towns."

"I've lived here all my life. I can't imagine a better place to be…" he trailed of and looked down at his hands; a hint of sadness crossing his adorable brown eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked concerned.

"Nothing's wrong." He said smiling weakly. She felt the urge to reach out to him, took his hands and make him talk to her. She did not though. More than anyone else on this earth, she knew that sometimes, it is hard to talk. Moreover, they barely knew each other; she could not expect people to confide in her when she did not. She was not even sure if she wanted him to. So, instead of insisting, she smiled softly and proposed him another cup of coffee.

"No thanks. I think I'll just leave; Sawyer must be waiting for me." He stood up and looked down at the street, though the window and sure enough, Sawyer was standing outside of his car and was leaning against it. Jack chuckled as he saw him checking out a beautiful woman with red hair.

"I better get going before he gets in trouble." She laughed and he headed toward the door.

"Thanks for the help." She said smiling sweetly.

"Anytime. Thanks for the coffee." She smiled again and he could not keep the word that came out of his mouth.

"You uh- you wanna come?"

"Where?" she asked frowning.

"With me and Sawyer."

"I'm sorry to repeat but _where_?" she asked again emphasizing the last word and he chuckled lightly.

"We're having lunch. You said you didn't know L.A; maybe it's time to see what it's like."

"Okay, give me two seconds to get my purse and my jacket."

"It's hot today, you don't need your jacket." She nodded and went to get her purse. "Plus you might forget it once again." he said teasing and she rolled her beautiful green eyes.

"I was about to come up and get you but I understand why you were late." Sawyer said smirking when he saw them arrive. "Hello Freckles."

"Hi Dimples." She said teasing. Jack laughed when he saw Sawyer's face fall. "You're the one who started with the nicknames." Kate said innocently, trying to hide a smirk.

"Come on guys! I'm starving." Jack said before his friend could reply and sat on the back seat. Kate and Sawyer kept smirking at each other before getting up. He put the key in the ignition and looked questioningly at his best friend.

"I wanna go to the Italian restaurant Claire talked about." Jack said and sawyer nodded starting up the car. Kate smiled at the two men. Since Tom died, she had forgotten what it was like to be really close to someone. It was nice to see that again even if she was just a witness.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the restaurant. They took a table next to the window so that Kate could watch L.A people in their everyday life. After ten minutes of starring, she realised that it was not that interesting. People barely looked at each other; they were too busy talking in their cell phones or reading the latest news and gossips or rushing to their next appointment. It had its advantages though. A city so big that everything you did was done fast and practically anonymously. It was clearly the best place for her. _'Can't believe I never thought about it before. Next time it'll be a big city as well. New York maybe…'_ she thought. She wanted to get away from her past and her so called home and she always thought that the best places to hide were small towns.

She ate and watched them interact. They told her many childhood stories that made her laugh to tears. At first it surprised her that these two were friends but they had a lot more in common than she thought. After that Sawyer gave her the entire list of nicknames, he gave for each of them and the story that go with every one of them.

"They're all so easy Sawyer." Kate said laughing.

"Maybe, but they fit perfectly." He said with a hint of pride in his voice.

"And what's your nickname?" she asked him raising her eyebrow. She saw how all his body tensed and feared that she asked something she was not supposed to.

"It's Sawyer." He replied coldly. Kate looked a bit confused.

"Long story." Jack said echoing the word his best friend had said during last night's dinner. Kate nodded and smiled with sympathy. She looked for another subject and found the perfect one.

"So how come Claire and Charlie aren't together?" she asked.

"That's an interesting question." Jack said.

"I don't think so." Sawyer said groaning. "This situation isn't interesting it's stupid and frankly quite boring." He said slightly annoyed. Jack gave him a look and Kate waited for him to continue.

"They're not stupid, it's just complicated." Jack said.

"And probably scared too." Kate added

"Oh come on! Please! Scared of what?" Sawyer asked. "They're already acting like a couple anyway. Even you, Freckles thought they were when you saw them for the first time together… it's obvious!"

"He kinda has a point here." Kate said.

"Duh!" Sawyer snorted.

"Hey did you forget that Claire actually has a boyfriend?" Jack asked and Sawyer frowned. "Thomas! Tall, blonde hair and an Australian accent…"

"Stupid look." Sawyer finished "Yeah I remember."

"It doesn't matter, she still has a boyfriend." Even though he would kill to see Claire and Charlie finally together he knew it was none of his business.

"So?" Kate and Sawyer said at the same time and they all laughed.

"You mean you would cheat on the person you love…just like that?" Jack asked. Sawyer was about to answer positively but he cut him off.

"I know you would, I was asking Kate." And the two men turned to look at her.

"Well obviously, I would not cheat on my boyfriend and I'm not suggesting this is what Claire should be doing…"

"But?" sawyer said.

"_But_ if I knew I was feeling something, anything, for someone else it wouldn't be fair to my boyfriend if I played games."

"You think Claire is playing games?" jack asked.

"I wasn't talking about Claire, I was talking about myself. The real question, the only one that matters is what do they really feel for each other?"

"Hello did you see VH1 Reject yesterday?" Sawyer asked and she could not help but laugh. It was obvious that Charlie had fallen head over heals for the cute blonde.

"Yeah but what about Claire?" she asked. Jack was about to respond but Sawyer cut him off.

"We all know, me included," he said with a roll of his eyes and jack chuckled lightly, "that they will hook up eventually. Doc knows it, Claire knows it and even Charlie knows it. So why don't they just jump on things and leave us the hell alone? Now that you satisfied your curiosity, could we please drop the subject? Talking about love literally itches!" he said, making a face. They finished lunch and talked about Sport and cars in other words subjects that would not itch Sawyer. Kate was slightly surprised by her won behaviour. Usually she barely spoke to people but here she was laughing, joking, teasing and actually enjoying it. The urge of running away was still there but somehow it was not as much sweltering.

At 1:30, Sawyer declared that he had to go to work so he left Jack and Kate alone. Soon after that, Jack paid for the meal and they left as well.

"So we can take a cab or just walk back home." He said when they were out. Kate looked around herself and smiled; it was a pleasant afternoon.

"Let's walk." She said and they smiled at each other. He shoved his hands in his jeans pocket and without thinking about what she was doing; she put her arm through his. He smiled down at her and they walked in silence enjoying the hot day. He spent the afternoon showing her around. They were in his hospital neighbourhood when they passed in front of a dinner. Kate stopped and they turned to look at it. She always thought about her mum when she passed before one. She would look through the window and imagine herself back home, seating in one of the tools and eating chocolate cake while her mum would be pouring coffee to the clients. She would watch the waitress in her uniform and remember the good times with her mother. Forgetting Jack's presence for a few seconds, she sighed deeply. He noticed the change in her mood.

"Something's wrong?" he asked worried. She was about to deny it when she noticed a sign hung on the door.

"Look, they're looking for a waitress." She said pointing at the sign.

"Is it bad?" he asked confused.

"No, it's great!" she said smiling widely. "Come on." She said grabbing his hand and leading him inside.


	5. Doctor's appointment

Disclaimer: I don't own Lost but I wish I would own Foxy's number hehehe!

A/N: Thank you so much guys for your awesome reviews! Luv ya all! Here's chapter 5, it's short but the next one will be a lot longer.

_**Chapter five: Doctor's appointment.**_

"Hello girls." Jack greeted Claire and Shannon as he and Kate entered the girl's apartment.

"Hi." Kate said smiling widely. The two blonde wave at them smiling.

"Where have you been" Shannon asked with a smirk. Jack rolled his eyes and sat down next to Claire while Kate sat on his armchair.

"We had lunch with Sawyer, then we take a walk around the town and… oh yeah, she found a job."

"You found a job?" Claire squealed. She knew Kate was worrying about it. Kate nodded with a smile. "That's awesome!"

"Where?" Shannon asked.

"Joey's dinner." Kate replied, her smile never fading away.

"It sounds familiar." She said.

"Yeah, we already been there, it's two block away from the hospital! They make great cheeseburgers." Jack said with a smile.

"You mean your hospital?" Claire asked with a small smile. Kate and Jack nodded.

"Oh… that's cool." Claire said with a grin and glanced over at Shannon.

"I better get going; I've an early shift tomorrow." Jack said looking at his watch. "See you girls tomorrow." They all smiled and nodded.

"Thanks Jack… for everything." Kate said smiling softly.

"Sure." He said shrugging and smiling back. "Bye, Kate." He said offering her his genuine smile before leaving.

"Thanks jack for everything." Shannon said imitating Kate.

"Sure… Bye Kate." Claire said joining Shannon and talking a deep man voice, trying to sound like Jack.

"I love you Jack!" Shannon carried on.

"Of I love you too Kate!"

"Please take me… NOW!" Shannon said with a fake moan.

"Shut up guys, you're not funny." Kate said rolling her eyes and trying to hide the blush that crept on her freckled cheeks.

"Yeah we are." Shannon and Claire chorused and they all giggled.

"So when do you start?" Shannon asked more seriously.

"Tomorrow."

"I was a waitress once." Shannon said almost with disgust. "You better watch out for drunk dumbasses." She added with a serious look.

"Don't worry; it's not my first time." Kate said and chuckled.

"Do you remember the time when…" Shannon said looking at Claire but trailed off when she saw how pale her friend was. "Claire? You're ok?" she asked worried. Kate and she had gotten closer to their roommate.

"I don't know…" Claire replied.

"You're so pale; you should lie down for a while." Kate said with a soft voice. Claire put a hand over her mouth, got up and quickly ran to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Kate looked at Shannon who seemed to be really worried.

"Don't worry." The brunette said putting a hand on her shoulder. "She probably just ate something bad."

"It's not that." Shannon said with sad look. "It's been like that all week."

"Had she seen a doctor?" Kate asked.

"Her appointment is tomorrow. Hopefully Thomas will go with her."

The next day Jack had just finished work and was taking a walk outside of the hospital when he noticed a familiar silhouette seating on a bench. She was looking at a woman with a baby in her arms. Jack came closer and sat down next to his friend. It was only at that moment that he noticed the tears that had fall down on her sweet face and her bloodshot eyes.

"Claire, what's wrong? What did the doctor said?" he asked getting worried at her distant look. She did not reply. He did not even know if she realised he was seating next to her. Jack remained silent as well and turned to look at the woman and her baby. That is when he realised. He did not need her to answer; he knew what the doctor had said. He put an arm around her thin shoulders and let her cry in his arms.

"Let's get back home." He said softly after a little while and she nodded.

When they arrived at the girls' apartment, they found Charlie and Shannon waiting for Claire. She smiled weakly at them and sat next to Charlie who immediately put an arm around her shoulders.

"How did it go?" he asked with a frown.

"I'm two months pregnant." She whispered.

A/N: so press the button please I want to know what you think and if you want to leave any suggestion please do!


	6. I promise

Disclaimer: I don't own Lost… I would be extremely rich if it was the case.

A/N: I luv you guys, your review were so sweet! Keep them coming, I could never have enough of them :D. if you are a Chaire shipper, you're going to like this chapter. I love charlie, I think he's really funny.

_**Chapter six: I promise.**_

"Do you want to order now?" Kate asked Claire who was seating alone at a table at Joey's Dinner.

"No, thanks. I'll wait for him." Kate nodded and smiled down at her. The blonde was biting her nails and seemed to be really nervous. Kate put her free hand –the one that was not holding a coffee pot- on her shoulder and smiled reassuringly at her.

"Don't worry; everything is going to be ok."

"You don't know that. You don't know him." she said, the stress taking control of her. Ever since she learned she was pregnant, she had a difficult time trying to calm down. She could not remember the last time she ate. She knew it was not good for her or the baby but she could not bring herself to relax long enough to feed herself. Every body had tried to help her, Jack and Charlie even spent last night in the girl's apartment but nobody was able to do anything about it. Charlie's presence was soothing but he made her go crazy when he was bashing Thomas for not being there when she needed him the most.

"It's too much." She whispered, fighting the urge to cry. Kate wanted to comfort her but she did not know how. She has been on her own all her life; only minding her own business. She was not good at helping other people solve their problem, especially when she was not able to resolve her own. In addition, she never found herself in a similar situation.

"I'm sorry." She said simply.

"It's okay." Claire said with a weak smile. She looked at the brunette and her smile turned into a smirk. "I like your uniform." Kate rolled her eyes. She was working for two days now, she already had visits from Jack, Sawyer, Charlie and Shannon, and they all made a comment about her work outfit.

"See you later." She said squeezing Claire's shoulder and gave her a warm smile before getting back to work. The blonde nodded and waited anxiously her boyfriend.

Kate went behind the long counter and refilled the coffee pot. She turned to the only client who was seating there. He was wearing a baseball hat and sunglasses so big that they were covering nearly all his face. _'Los Angeles people!'_ she thought looking at his ridiculous outfit. _'Maybe it's a star'_ she thought but pushed the thought away, they were too far from Hollywood. She noticed that his coffee cup was empty, so she went to refill it.

"Thanks." He said with a quick smile. She noticed his accent.

"Would you like anything else?" she asked with a professional smile. He did not reply. Instead, he kept looking over his shoulder toward Claire.

"Sir?" Kate said.

"Uh- no thanks. I'm good." He said. This time she recognised both his voice and his typical British accent. She looked at him, rather amused and he looked down at his cup.

"I can't believe you, Charlie." She said shaking her head but chuckling at the same time. "She'll kick your butt, if she recognizes you." She added putting her free hand on her hips trying to sound reproachful but was clearly amused by Charlie's over protective behaviour.

"She won't!" he said pointing at his glasses.

"Yeah, right!" Kate said sarcastically. "If I did, she will too." Charlie sighed, defeated.

"I know, but I had to come."

"She told you no to, though. She needed to do it on her own. Plus, it's not like she's in danger. She's just meeting her boyfriend."

"It's more serious than that." He had not taken off his glasses but Kate could hear his worry.

"I know and I understand." She said putting a hand on his. "Look, I don't really know Claire but she's strong and even if this turns badly, she has you guys." She said with a reassuring smile. The door behind them opened and a blond-haired- man in his early twenties entered.

"Here we go." Charlie said, nervously rubbing his hands as he watched Claire standing up and kissing her boyfriend. Kate could not see his eyes but she would bet on her life that he was throwing killing looks at Thomas.

"Hi. Sorry I'm late." Thomas said seating down opposite her.

"It's ok." She replied shrugging. "Let's order." She said and waved at Kate. Thomas did not have noticed how nervous she was. Kate came closer, holding a small writing pad on one hand and a pencil on the other.

"Kate, this is Thomas; my boyfriend. Thomas, this is Kate; our mew roommate." she said introducing them to each other. They greeted each other.

"So, what are you having?" Kate asked said returning in waitress mode.

"A cheeseburger and a coca." Thomas said.

"Same for me but I want a bottle of sparkling water instead of the coca." Kate nodded writing down their order. She smiled and returned to the counter. Claire gave Thomas a small smile.

"So, how the doctor's appointment went?" he asked. "I'm sorry I couldn't come but I was with mum." He said avoiding her eyes.

"I thought you said you were with Brian." She said looking suspiciously at him.

"Yeah I know." He said giving her a confident smile. "I went to Brian after I went to see my mum." He explained, trying to sound convincing.

"Ok." She said not convinced at all. "Well, I'm good." he gave her a smile.

"Good, I was worried." He said taking her hand from across the table.

Charlie shifted slightly in his seat. He turned to Kate.

"Everything about him is repulsive. I don't know what she finds so appealing in him." he whispered disgusted.

"Well, he's kinda good looking-if you like the blonde type- and he has a sexy Australian accent." She said smirking.

"I have an accent too." he pointed out defensively. "And I would never lie to her. He always did and she knows it." He said with a depressed sigh. They turned their attention back to the couple. A few minutes later, Kate arrived with their cheeseburgers.

"Thank you." Claire said with a genuine smile and Kate smiled back. They kept looking at each other until Kate reached the counter again. The brunette gave one more encouraging smile before going back to work. Fifteen minutes later Claire had not touched her plate yet, whereas Thomas almost finished. He was telling her a story about a guy that he met on campus but she was not paying any attention. From across the room Claire noticed a man wearing ridiculously big sunglasses who was looking at them with his lips tightly glued to each other. He seemed as nervous and worried as she was. When he saw her looking at him, he quickly turned his head. She thought about someone but she quickly pushed the thought away. _'Even Charlie wouldn't do that.'_ It went on for five more minutes, until Thomas noticed that that something was wrong.

"What's wrong, Claire?" he asked looking at her plate. "Usually you finish long before I do but today you did not even touched it. Are you okay?"

"Yeah!" she said nodding. "I'm not really hungry that's all." She lied.

"Is that true?" he asked not quiet convinced.

"Actually, no; that's not all. I have something really important to tell you." She said looking right into his eyes.

"Okay." He said focusing all his attention at her.

"The thing is… well the doctor said I wasn't sick, but there's something else." She explained.

"You're starting to freak me out." He said with a nervous chuckle.

"Thomas, I'm pregnant." She finally said looking at him with a mixture of fear and expectancy. He widened in eyes n disbelief and his jaw dropped slightly. They stayed like that for at least five minutes; neither of them daring to speak. His facial expression had not changed; he still looked like he had been rolled over by a truck.

"Thomas? Are you alright?" she asked leaning a little closer against the table.

"Uh- to be honest, I don't know." He said still unfocussed. He looked around himself as if he was looking for something or someone who could tell him it was some kind of joke.

"Thomas?" Claire said again.

"How?" he asked looking back at her with a frown.

"What do you mean 'how'?" she asked feeling slightly annoyed by his question. "You know how!" she added. "You were there!"

"Yeah, but you said you were on the pill."

"What, you think I lied to you?" she asked appal. He did not reply. "I am on the pill, you jerk! But accidents happen." She said angrily. He raised an eyebrow and gave an incredulous smirk.

"Accident." He repeated with a chuckle and she looked at him with disgust.

"What do you want me to tell you?" she asked fighting the urge to slap him. From behind the counter, Kate had to stop Charlie from getting up and doing the same thing.

"That you're joking." She looked at him with anger. It was as if she was talking to a completely different person.

"Well, I'm not." She said through her teethes. They looked at each other for several minutes. Claire had crossed her arms and she was looking at him with rage as if she was daring him to say another unpleasant remark. Even if she was not showing it, she completely lost. This situation was completely terrifying but she knew she had to deal with it. She was an adult and had to take responsibilities and assume the consequences of her acts. She thought that Thomas would help go through this but now that he was seating in front of her with his arrogant smirk and his eyebrow raised in incredulity, she had no idea what she was supposed to do.

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"You mean we, right? What are WE going to do?" she said, fighting the urge to cry, now. They were not tears of sadness but tears of pure anger that she tried to keep from falling. He looked down at his lap.

"Listen, I don't know if I'm ready for that." He said trying to sound sorry but failing lamely. All she could see in his eyes was a need to get away as soon as possible. She shook her head, disgusted.

"You think I am?" she asked. She was not able to control her tears anymore. "This situation is freaking the hell out of me. I'm still going to college, my life just started; I'm only 22 for god's sakes but there is nothing I can do to change it. I'm pregnant. There's a baby growing inside of me and WE have to face the fact that some decisions need to be made."

"You mean like abortion or adoption?" he asked, shifting slightly on his seat.

"I don't know yet, I didn't think about it." she blatantly lied, looking at her plate. Of course, she thought about it; it was the only thing she was able to do for the last 24 hours. Nothing constructive came out of her sleepless night though. That is why she needed him; to help her make a decision. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

"Listen, I know exactly what you must be thinking, believe me. I also know that we made this child together and I need you to help me." She put one of her hands on the table and slowly got it closer to him. When she finally reached one of his hands, he pulled away.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you; it's too much." He said getting up. "I'm sorry." He repeated before heading to the door. Charlie stood up, ready to make him come back by any means but Kate grabbed his arm and made him seat down again. Then she went to Claire and sat down at the same place Thomas just left.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Don't be!" Claire replied drying her tears forcefully. "Somehow I knew it would turn out this way. He's a coward, I always knew that. I don't need him… I don't need him!" she said angrily. She looked through the window, she saw him pull away from the curve in his grey truck, and suddenly she felt lonelier than never before. She chewed her lower lip trying hard not to cry again but it was in vain. She began to sob and Kate got up from her seat and sat down again, next to her. She opened her arms for her and she pulled her in a hug. She let her cry while she softly brushed her blonde hair.

"It's going to be okay. She whispered in her ear. "You gonna get through this." Claire nodded against her shoulder.

"We will help you." The women looked up and found Charlie seating opposite them. "We'll be there, you're not alone." He assured her with a comforting smile. She was not surprised to see him; it was typical of Charlie to be there when she needed him. Usually, she would have been angry but not today because his presence made her feel better. She gave him a wet smile and he smiled back.

"Let's get you back home." He said softly and she nodded.

"I'm done in ten minutes; I can give you a ride." Kate said.

"Okay, thanks." Charlie said looking at her while she got up. "Claire needs to finish her plate anyway." He said glancing seriously at the blonde. "Don't give me that look." He added when she rolled her beautiful blue eyes. "You need to eat, if you're not doing for you, do it for the baby."

"He's right." Kate said. Claire sighed and looked at her plate. She realised how much she was starving and finally took a good bite at her sandwich.

"Good girl." Charlie said with a smile and Kate got back to work.

"Charlie, please take those glasses off. You're scaring me." Claire said and he chuckled lightly before taking them off. They smiled at each other. He leaned over the table and put a lock of curly hair behind her ears. He let his hand rest on her cheek and she unconsciously leaned on his touch. He softly rubbed her soft skin with his thumb and she blushed a little when she saw the way he was looking at her. She never saw so much care in Thomas' eyes. They both sighed, enjoying the moment. He looked deeply in her sad and tired eyes. Even if they were all red and puffy she still was the most beautiful woman, he had ever seen.

"I promise you, everything will be fine." He said genuinely.

"Thank you Charlie." She said with a soft smile and his heart dropped. How was he supposed to keep his feelings under control when she was smiling at him like that?

"You're quiet welcome." He replied with a warm smile.

A/N: press the button... not to save the world but my tormented author's soul lol.


	7. What a girl wants

Disclaimer: I'm so far from owning Lost that even the possibility of me dating Foxy seems more plausible.

A/N: Hi folks! How is it going? I hope you enjoy reading this fic as much as I love writing it. I have so many ideas that I don't know where to put them all and if this story is ever going to end. As usual, I hope you'll leave a lot of reviews and don't be shy leave suggestions too… I love to collaborate! If you want to see something special just tell me and I'll see what I can do.

This chapter is less angsty than the one before and there's a lot of explanation. Enough rambling, enjoy!

_**Chapter seven: What a girl wants.**_

"What are you going to do?" Sun asked Claire softly, putting a hand on her knee. It was the evening after Claire and Thomas' last date. Claire, Shannon, Kate, Sun, Lilly, Libby, Ana-Lucia and Marissa were having a girl night while the men where at their basketball night. They had decided to do it tonight instead of tomorrow night to leave the girls alone during "this time of crisis", as Hurley put it. Claire had filled the ones who were not aware of her pregnancy yet and she told them every detail of her last date with her, now, ex boyfriend.

"I don't know." Claire answered truthfully and shrugged. "I thought that I would be able to make a decision and now that he's gone, everything seems even more complicated than it was this morning."

"But what do you WANT to do?" Libby asked. "I'm sure you thought about it."

"Do you want to keep the baby?" Marissa asked. Claire averted her eyes from them. She wanted to keep it but she knew it was more complicated than that.

"It's not that simple." She said. "I'm alone and I didn't finished school yet." She explained.

"You're not alone." Shannon said putting an arm around her shoulder.

"I can't count on you guys to pay for everything he or she will need."

"Claire, if you want to keep this baby, you have to." Sun said seriously. Kate noticed a hint of sadness in her voice. "The money is not a problem." She added.

"You have your work and your scholarship." Lilly pointed out.

"And your parents will help you." Shannon added.

"It's just temporary; you'll be done with school in less than three month. Then you're going to be able to work and you will be able to provide for your child on your own." Libby carried on.

"But for now let us help." Sun said smiling softly. "We want to." She added and they all nodded.

"You've never been alone, sweetie. The men will want to help as well." Shannon said. Claire looked at all of them and felt the tears built in her eyes.

"Thank you guys! I promise I will find a way to make it up to you." She said, letting the tears fall down on her cheeks. "I really want to keep this baby. I mean I just keep thinking about my mother. I, too, was unexpected but she did not give me away nor had an abortion, she chose to keep me and I wanna do the same thing for my baby." She said putting her hand on her stomach. "I wanna give him his chance and it doesn't matter if his daddy is a stupid coward; I'm gonna love you so much, you won't even realise he's not there." She said looking down at her stomach and talking to it. In fact, she had made the decision of keeping the baby, the minute she knew she was pregnant but she just needed help to say it aloud.

"I'm sure the boys will be more than happy to play his role." Sun said with a smile

"Especially Jack and Charlie, they are so good with kids." Lilly added.

"Yeah I saw Charlie last summer with his niece, he was so adorable." Claire said.

"Charlie's an uncle?" Kate asked with a smile.

"Yeah." Claire replied. "Her name is Megan, she's 5. She lives in England with her parents Liam and Karen in the south of England." She explained.

"Last summer they came to visit Charlie." Sun added and they began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Kate asked.

"Liam told us that they were playing in a band when they younger and Charlie was convinced that they would become huge stars." Claire said laughing. For a few seconds, the image of Charlie singing and holding a guitar in front of thousands of people crossed Kate's mind. She burst out with laughter and they all joined her.

"He still got his guitar." Claire said with a smile.

"Remember the time he went to your class to talk about music?" Lilly asked Sun and they all laughed.

"How could I forget? He convinced all the kids that they could be rock gods if they wanted to. I still get phone calls from parents complaining because their daughter is convinced that she's going to be the next Janice Joplin." She said laughing.

"Charlie is definitely one of a kind." Libby said with a smile and glanced over at Claire.

"I think Jack is the one who made the more impression on your students though." Ana- Lucia said and Sun nodded.

"Jack and Charlie went to talk to your pupils? Why?" Kate asked. She thought that Charlie was an exception.

"Well it was the career day at school and parents came to talk about their jobs. When I talk about it Jack, Charlie, Sayid, Libby and Ana-Lucia wanted to participate as well."

"Jack went just after me." Ana-Lucia said. "I thought that no one could beat a cop, but Jack literally mesmerised all of them." She said with a wink.

"The kids were speechless and the parents all wanted his card just in case they would need a spinal surgeon." Sun said with a smile.

"He kept saying that he wasn't done with school and that he hadn't a card yet but nobody listened." Libby added with a chuckle.

"I remember a single mom coming to me after school the next day asking for his number." Sun said and they all laughed.

"What I remember is the scene Sarah made when you told us." Shannon said with wink. She did not seem sorry for Sarah at all.

"Yeah but she should be used to that now." Lilly added.

"What do you mean?" Kate asked. She tried to hide it but since the conversation turned to Jack, she was even more focused.

"Hello!" Lilly said. "Did you take a look at him?"

"Yeah I did, he's good looking…" she was cut off by Shannon's sarcastic snore.

"Good- looking? Please, Jack is hot." She said crossing her arms.

"Handsome." Claire added

"Gentle." Sun carried on

"Funny but in a special way." Libby joined them.

"Smart." Ana-Lucia pointed out

"And he's going to be rich." Marissa finished. They all had a dreamy voice and their eyes were sparkling.

"Plus, you saw him shirtless and he made quite an impression so don't act all casual on us." Shannon said smirking. Kate tried not to but she laughed. Jack was pretty awesome; she had to agree with them.

"Okay I got your points, all of them." She said looking around to all of them. "I see he has is own official fan club." none of them blushed or felt embarrassed by her comment. "Anyway, I'm sure Jack would never cheat on the woman he loves, even if women are throwing themselves at him." Kate said matter of factly. They all turned to look at her with questioning looks. "We talked about that the other day." She explained looking down at her hands.

"Well, Jack may seem perfect but we all have our flows." Shannon said with a smirk, which reminded Kate a lot of Sawyer's.

"You mean he actually cheated on Sarah?" Marissa asked, chocked. Shannon glanced at Claire and hesitated. She almost regretted to have said this much.

"Promise it won't leave these walls." Claire said and the rest of the women, except Sun, nodded eager to know.

"Jack has been dating Sarah since his first year at college and everything seemed perfect in the beginning but as we all know, lately it has been kinda hard between them." Shannon began. The group of women nodded, feeling sad for the handsome doctor.

"A couple of months ago, he met an Italian at the hospital. She was accompanying her father who was very sick. Her name is Gabriella." Claire carried on "Jack was really glad because for a resident it was an honour to work on such a difficult case." At Shannon and Claire's surprise, Sun spoke next.

"Jack and the rest of the doctors were trying to make his father better but Gabriella's father didn't made it." She said with a sad look.

"You knew?" The two blondes said surprised and sun nodded. Claire and Shannon looked at each other and a look of understanding crossed their eyes. "Jin." They chorused.

"Men say we like juicy gossips but they like them even more than we do." Libby said and they all chuckled.

"Husbands and wives are supposed to share everything." Sun said defensively.

"That wasn't your secret." Shannon pointed out.

"It wasn't yours either." Sun replied.

"Whatever." Shannon said." Where were we? Oh yeah right, the old men died." She said and Kate was surprised by how cool and nonchalant she seemed to be about this story. "Through the weeks Gabriella and Jack had developed a very close patient's daughter / doctor relationship. So when her father died she turned to Jack for support."

"One thing leading to another…" Claire continued

"What? Did they sleep together?" Marissa asked putting a hand over her mouth. Shannon, Sun and Claire shook their heads.

"No but she kissed him…"Shannon began

"…and he kissed her back." Claire finished with a wicked smile. For some mysterious reason, Kate felt bad for Sarah. She looked around her and to her surprise; the women were all smiling. Jack had done something bad, yet they were happy and even thrilled about it. Shannon noticed Kate expression.

"We're not bad people, Kate. If it was another woman than the Ice Queen we would have called Jack on it and forced him to tell her the truth." Marissa's eyes widened in shock.

"He didn't tell Sarah?" she asked. Claire shook her head.

"Nope. Their relation is already difficult; he did not want to make things even more difficult."

"He'll tell her eventually." Shannon added.

"When? After the ceremony?" Lilly asked sarcastically. It was Kate's turn to be chocked.

"They are getting married?" she asked unable to hide her disappointment. When she heard the sound of her own voice, she tensed. Since when did she care? It was not like her at all to be attached this quickly. In fact, she never was attached. Not since, she left her hometown. Here she was, worrying about a guy she barely even knew.

"Unfortunately, yes. As soon as he'll finish his residency." Lilly said, a flash of sadness crossing her chocolate eyes. Kate could feel that there was something more. Since Sarah's name has been evoked, she felt the atmosphere change but now that they were talking about their wedding, it was as if they were at a wake.

"What's wrong?" Kate asked with a frown when she saw Claire jaw contract with anger. The blonde looked at her with a mixture of sadness, rage anduncertainty. She was not sure if she should bring that on, it already hard for them to accept it without talking about it for the millionth time. It was not as if they could do anything to change his mind now.

"There's something more." Shannon said mirroring Claire's expression. Kate realised how much the two blondes looked alike.

"What?" Kate asked worried.

"He's leaving." Claire said fighting back the tears.

"What?" Kate repeated looking around her looking for confirmation. She had it when she noticed how sad they all looked.

"She got a job on the east cost." Sun said.

"Something really huge apparently." Libby carried on and Kate noticed the hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Something she could not turned down."

"Jack can be a doctor anywhere so he decided to follow her." Ana- Lucia explained.

"We're loosing our leader, our friend for that bitch!" Shannon said bitterly and for the first time, Kate saw her eyes filling with tears. Kate felt strange. She felt sad for them but surprisingly she also felt sad for herself. She felt the fear built up in her chest. She did not want him to leave. _'You'll probably leave before he does, stupid!'_ she told herself. '_Stop caring!_' she ordered to herself as if it was possible.

"When?" she asked in a whisper.

"After my graduation." Claire said drying the tears that had finally fell upon her cheeks. She took a deep breath before carrying on. "We tried to talk to him, we tried to convince him but he can be so stubborn." She said sniffing.

"Sawyer even went to talk to her but Jack got mad when she told him so we just gave up." Sun said defeated. "It's not the end of the world, we'll still each other." She said trying to cheer the other up but she failed.

"It won't be the same." Claire said and if the situation were not this sad, Kate would have smiled at her childish voice.

_**In the mean time, on the other side of the city, on a basketball court…**_

"Dude, you're screwed!" Hurley said to Sawyer laughing when he missed his third shot in a row.

"Shut up Big Mama." Sawyer snapped, frustrated.

"That's it. I think we should take a break." Jack said putting the ball down and heading toward a wooden bench where a bottle of water and a small towel were waiting for him.

"What do you mean 'it'? We can still beat you." Sawyer said pointing at his team, which was constituted of Jin and Michael. Jack was playing with Hurley and Charlie.

"Sawyer, you're busted. Just let it go." Jack said before drinking some water.

"Whatever. If Sayid was here…"

"It wouldn't have made a bloody difference." Charlie finished smirking.

"We always won." Hurley finished proudly. Sawyer rolled his eyes angrily. He looked at Jack and decided to drop it when he saw his friend. Jack was working a lot and with his Sarah issue, things were rough for him lately. He would not admit it to anyone but he was glad to see him relax a little. He reluctantly went to seat next to his teammates and took the water bottle that Jin was handing him. He took a sip and sighed deeply, enjoying the hot breeze. He also had a lot on his mind lately.

"So, how is Lilly's mum?" Charlie asked Sawyer changing the subject into a more serious one. Sawyer sighed deeply and looked down at his hands.

"Not great." He replied sadly.

"The chemo didn't work?" Jack asked turning into Doctor mode. Sawyer shook his head.

"How is she holding up?" Hurley asked and Sawyer let out a frustrated groan.

"She's so damn stubborn. She doesn't want my help. She keeps saying that she's fine but I know she's not." Some one else would have been surprised to see in Sawyer's eyes so much care and concern and to hear so much worry in his voice but his friends knew that he cared a lot about Lilly. A lot more than he was letting on. A lot more than he would admit to himself. He sighed again and they all noticed how he tense he was. "It was a long week." He said in a barely audible whisper and they all agreed.

"First, the arrival of Kate." Hurley said.

"That's not a bad thing." Jack said before he could even stop himself. They all looked at him smirking.

"She's really nice. She was a great support for Claire today." Charlie came to help his friend.

"Second, Claire is pregnant." Hurley carried on.

"Yeah. You should have seen her at the hospital yesterday." Jack said unable to forget the sight of a teary and desperate Claire seating all alone in a bench outside the hospital.

"You should have seen her today." Charlie said proudly. "How she handled the whole date. She was amazing." He said grinning.

"Yeah, right!" Sawyer snorted, regaining his usual sarcasm. "As if it was the only thing that mattered now."

"What do you mean?" Jin asked.

"She's free now." Sawyer pointed out.

"Dude, she's pregnant." Hurley said.

"You think it's gonna stop him?" Sawyer asked laughing. "He was already hitting on her when she was off limits."

"I'm still here, you know." Charlie said a little irritated by Sawyer.

"Unfortunately." Sawyer retorted with a smirk. Charlie sat down next to Jack and ignored him. They sat silently for several minute, everyone wrapped in their own thoughts. It has been a long week indeed.

"Where's Sayid, anyway?" Michael asked after a little while, leaning back against the bench.

"He had…um to finish something." Jack said smiling widely.

"Spill it Doc!" Sawyer said smirking. He knew something was going on. Jack shook his head.

"I promised I won't tell." Jack said not able to erase the smile that was spreading against his sweet face.

"Oh come on Jack. It's us, what is he up to?" Jin asked.

"Who said he was up to something." Jack asked raising his eyebrow.

"What, you think we're stupid or somethin'? We saw the cheeky grin on his face all week long. He's preparing something, I'm sure." Michael said raising an eyebrow.

"We're bloody sure." Charlie added. They all looked at Jack expectantly. He chuckled and shrugged.

"You'll know in time." He said with a smirk.

"Dude, it's not fair. How come he told you and not us?" Hurley asked a little offended by Sayid secretive behaviour.

"He didn't tell you guys because you're unable to keep a secret, especially from the girls."

"Oh and you can?" Sawyer asked raising an eyebrow.

"Of course I can!" Jack replied defensively.

"Yeah right!" Jin snorted. "Sun never learned that I had a huge crush on her in high school."

"What, you're still on that? It's ridiculous. First of all I made a mistake, I didn't meant to tell her, it kinda came out of my mouth before I could stop it. And second of all you should thank me; without me you wouldn't be married to the only woman you love." Jack said smiling but Jin did not look too convinced by his speech.

"Yeah, I would have preferred that you made your mistake else where than in the middle of a crowded cafeteria." He said the memory still fresh in his mind.

"Yeah I know, I'm sorry but you know I always had a bad timing." Jack said smirking.

"So why the girl shouldn't heard about Sayid little secret either?" Charlie asked. Jack looked away, not wanting to answer.

"Because it concern one of them." Michael said sitting straighter.

"Sticks." Sawyer added with a smirk.

"What would he be preparing to her that is so important?" Hurley asked.

"It's important enough for him to keep it from us." Charlie added.

"Could we just drop it, please?" Jack asked pleadingly. He knew that they were close to find out and Sayid will certainly not be happy if his surprise was spoiled. Jin suddenly jumped to his feet and smiled widely.

"Tunrintin tunrintin." He sang the wedding march.

"Marriage?" Charlie asked looking at Jack. The doctor nodded slightly and could not help but smile.

"Awesome, dude!" Hurley said laughing.

"That's really cool, man." Michael agreed.

"Yeah, it's great but please don't tell anyone." Jack pleaded.

"Does Boone know?" Jin asked.

"What do I know?" Boone's voice said from behind them. He was walking toward them and an old man on a wheel chair was rolling next to him. They all turned to greet him and his friend.

"Guys, this is John Lock. John this is everybody. Jack, Hurley, Sawyer, Jin, Michael, Charlie and uh… where's Sayid?" he asked frowning.

"He couldn't make it." Jack said hurriedly, keeping Sawyer from saying something stupid. Sayid had not told him that he was planning to propose to his sister. He knew how much protective he was toward Shannon. He even tried to stop this relationship when it started but when he saw how much they loved each other he began to accept it, it took him quite a while but he accepted it eventually. Shannon was happy and in the end, that was all that mattered to him.

"Nice to meet all of you, finally." John said with a smile. The men nodded and smiled back.

"We heard a lot about you." Charlie said. "Boone said you were some kind of adventurer." He finished with a perplex look. Boone and Jack threw him reproachful looks and he shrugged. "What?" he said defensively.

"Don't mind him." Boone said still throwing angry looks at Charlie.

"Nobody does anyway." Sawyer said and Charlie smacked him on the arm.

"Anyway, I was just heading back home with John when I decided to drop by. Sorry, I had a lot of work, my mother needed me." Boone explained.

"It's okay." Jack said. They all sat back on the bench.

"So who won?" Boone asked eventually, smirking toward Sawyer.

"I give you three guesses." Jack said and they all laughed.

"So what were you up to?" Boone asked.

"Well I was thinking about a shower." Jack said.

"Yeah the girls are probably waiting for us." Michael said getting up. They all said good-bye to John and Boone and headed toward their cars.

**_Back to the girl's apartment_.**

"He has to be tall, with blue eyes, long hair, and a muscular chest but with no chest hair…" Lilly said dreamily. They were talking about the men of their dreams.

"Dimples." Shannon said with a malicious smile. "You forgot the dimples. You can't talk about Sawyer without mentioning his cute dimples."

"I wasn't talking about James." Lilly was the only one who called him like that and for some mysterious reason, he did not mind.

"Of course you were." Ana-Lucia said smirking as well.

"What about you Kate? What does the men of your dream looks like?" Libby asked with a cheeky smile.

"I don't have that kind of image in my mind." She answered. It was weird for her. It was as if she was at a slumber party with the most popular girls of the school and she was the new one who everybody wanted to know because she seemed cool but the problem was she did not want to be known.

"Come on!" Claire said with a smile and a roll of her beautiful blue eyes. "We all do." She added. Kate looked at them and gave in; after all, it was not as if she was talking about her past. She could at least give them that piece of herself.

"I want what every girls want…" At that moment, Sawyer slowly opened the door. He heard Kate voice and put a finger upon his mouth, quieting the men. They gathered silently in the hallway and listened carefully. Jack and Hurley were not happy about it but followed them anyway. When Jack heard Kate sweet voice describing the men of her dream he thought that it was not a bad idea after all.

"I don't really care about his look, although it would of course be better if he looked nice." She said with a sheepish smile and they all giggled.

"Of course you wouldn't mind if he had tattoos either." Shannon said smirking and Kate rolled her eyes. "You're not denying it; I'll take note of that."

"Are we back to high school?" Kate asked.

In the hallway, the man turned to look at Jack with questioning looks and smirk when Shannon mentioned tattoos. He looked away, trying to hide a smile, which did not go unnoticed by Sawyer who smirked. Even though they were not able to see the girls, they turned their attentions back to the living room when they heard Kate's voice again.

"I want someone who really cares about me not just someone who pretends to just long enough to lead me into his bed." She began and they all nodded knowing all too much what she meant. "I want someone who's happy to wake up next to me every morning without make up or fancy clothes on. I want someone who accepts me for who I am and not who he wants to see in me. I want someone who would find special and sweet ways to show me that he loves me, like a rose on the pillow when I wake up or a chocolate delicately put next to my purse." The girls giggled and she blushed a little not sure if she should continue. She looked at Claire and the blonde noticed her discomfort.

"Please, carry one. Please it's beautiful." She said pleadingly and the rest of them nodded in agreement. Kate smiled and carried on.

"Ok…um I want someone who surprises me, someone who would make love to me each time differently but always as if I was the last and only one he could or want to love." She said grinning.

"Dude, that's inappropriate, we should show them we're here." Hurley said embarrassed.

"Shut up." Sawyer whispered.

"I want someone who understands me just by looking into my eyes, someone who wouldn't care where I came or what is my past. Someone that wants to have a child not because it's time but because he would have it with me. I just want some one who loves and who makes me feel special." Kate finished feeling slightly embarrassed but confident nonetheless.

"I think you should write that down and publish it as the official description of the perfect man." Libby said stunned by Kate's words. They all laughed.

The men looked at each other not knowing what to do now. Jack came closer to the door. He opened and closed it loudly and they all entered the living room, pretending they just arrived.

Hurley, Jin and Michael went to seat next to their lovers before greeting them by a kiss.

"How was the basket?" Lilly asked Sawyer smiling.

"Good." He replied with a simple nod.

"Good for us." Charlie said smiling but Sawyer ignored him.

"You want me to drive you home?" he asked Lilly.

"No thanks, I got my car." she answered smiling softly.

"You finally got it back?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, it took the garage a month to find what the problem was but they finally found and repaired it." She explained. She looked at Sawyer who seemed a little disappointed.

"I'll miss our ride too." she said with a smile and he could not help but smile too.

"Where's Sayid?" Shannon finally asked. The guys exchanged looks and a smirk appeared on Sawyer's face. Jack noticed it and rolled his eyes.

"Grow up, man." He said. "Sayid called earlier. He said that he was tired and going straight to bed." Jack lied. Sayid told him to say that in case Shannon would ask after him. He knew that his girlfriend would not disturb him if he were sleeping. "And I think I'm gonna follow his example." Jack added. He bent down and put a kiss on Claire's hair who smiled.

"Good night." She said.

"Good night, every body." He said looking at the rest of the group. He looked at Kate and smiled genuinely before leaving. Kate looked down at her hand and smiled to herself. She tried not to, but it was hard to act casual when he was wearing shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt.

"I think I'm gonna head to bed as well." She finally said. "'Night." She said waving at them and she went to her room.

Half an hour later, every body went home and Claire and Shannon were left alone on the couch.

"You're gonna be okay?" Shannon asked for the millionth time. Claire nodded and gave her a genuine smile.

"So what do you think of tonight?" Claire asked changing the subject.

"It was great." Shannon said with a smile and Claire nodded.

"I can't believe that nobody except us noticed that the guys were there during Kate's speech." They both laughed lightly. "Jerks!"

"What a speech…" Shannon said.

"I kept thinking about Jack. She was describing someone who was supposedly imaginary and I kept thinking that she was talking about Jack."

"Me too." Shannon said with a malicious smile. "I hope Sayid is ok." She said a little worried. She had noticed his weird behaviour lately.

"I'm sure he's fine." Claire said putting a hand on her shoulder. Shannon nodded and smiled as well.

A/N: that's it for today. Hope you guys liked it. Please let me know.


	8. Love

Disclaimer: I really don't own Lost. All the characters (except Lilly and Marissa) were born in J.J and Damon's minds (lucky bastards lol).

A/N: I want to thank you guys so much for your lovely words, you're great reviewers. Here's the next chapter of "Founding Forever". Hope you'll enjoy it, let me know what you think of it. This is for all the Shayid fans, who miss Shannon and think that her death was really unfair (just like I do).

I also wanted to tell you that since last chapter, every chapter title would be inspired by a song. Last chapter it was "what a girl wants" by Christina Aguilera. This one, it's "love" by Keisha Cole.

**_Chapter eight: Love_**.

It was a week after the girl's night.

Claire was still having morning sickness but now that she had the support of her friend and family, she was feeling much better. It became a morning routine for Charlie to drop by every day and have breakfast with her. He never forgot to bring peanut butter with him. Someone would think that he was waiting for something in return but the smile that spread on Claire's sweet face every time he opened the front door was all the reward he needed or wanted.

Kate was happy about her new work. Her boss was nice and she got along pretty well with her colleagues. The dinner was situated in a respectable neighbourhood so she was not bothered by 'drunk dumbasses' as Shannon so poetically put it. As far as waitressing was concerned, it was the best job she ever had. Her new friends kept coming eating here, saying that the service was excellent but her favourite visitor was, of course, Jack. He stopped taking lunch from home or eating at the cafeteria. Even though it shortened his lunchtime, he would prefer coming to eat with Kate or being served by Kate. They would talk about the latest gossip and laugh a lot. It scared both of them how close they got in so little time but they chose not to think about it. After all, he was engaged and leaving the city in three months and she barely had a life. Well of course, he did not know that she was running but he knew that something was wrong. He wanted to ask her, not to judge her but to make sure she was okay. He wanted to protect her but something told him she did not want to be protected. Therefore, instead of talking about the important things, they fooled themselves and pretended than there was nothing more between them than a refreshing friendship. He liked that she was not treating him like some kind of hero that he was not and she liked that he did not force her into talking about herself. They liked each other's company and even if they should, they tried not to ask themselves the important questions. Pretending and hiding were arts and Jack and Kate had become masters in these areas through the years.

Between his work and his constant visits to Lilly's mother, Sawyer had not a lot of time to come see Jack or the girls but he took the time to send Claire a package. When she had ripped the brown paper off, Claire looked at Kate and Shannon and they all smiled. He had sent her a football. _'It better be a boy!'_ said the little note that was in the package with the gift. It was so typical of Sawyer. He would never tell it to your face but he would found ways to show you that he cares about you nonetheless. Marie, Lilly's mum was not getting better. The doctors were less and less hopeful about her state and her chances to recover. Mother and daughter knew that the end was near and tried to spend as much time together as they could. Lilly even took some time off. Sawyer's apartment was five blocks away from Lilly's one so he would spend a lot of time with them; trying to get their minds off things but it was not an easy task. Boone, who was Lilly's ex-boyfriend, would find the time to come see them as well. In fact, ever since Sawyer told the men during their basketball party that Marie was not doing well, all his friends found the time to drop by. Marie loved her daughter's friends and enjoyed their company a lot.

It was not in the same scale, by any means, but Sayid was having some issue of his own. He thought that preparing the night of his proposal was going to be great and exciting but it turned out that satisfying the person you love could be more difficult than you think. First, he had to keep Sawyer and the rest of the group from saying the truth to Shannon. Luckily enough, Sawyer was busy lately but it did not mean that Charlie or Michael were willing to keep their mouths shut. With the help of a threatening Jack and a pregnant and hormonal Claire, they managed to keep them away from Shannon. Then, he had to explain to Shannon why he had not drop by with the men after the basketball party. He tried to go on with Jack's lie but she did not bye it. It resulted with them arguing and they were not speaking to each other for two days now. He tried to apologise several times but she would not let him finish. She would leave the room, slamming the door behind her. He knew that it would not last long but it could last long enough to cause him problems. The most important one was to convince her to accept a date with him. How was he supposed to ask her to marry him if she did not even want to be in the same place as him? Claire, who was having a hand in it from day one, tried to help him. She knew Shannon was not mad because he did not came of that night but because he was hiding something from her. Claire knew what he was hiding, in fact, every body knew but they obviously could not tell her what it was. Kate and Claire managed to make her face him long enough for him to present a respectable and sincere apology.

"It's true, you were right." He said bluntly. She was seating across of him, her arms crossed over her chest defensively, her brows frown angrily and looking everywhere but at him.

"I knew I was." She mumbled. "What was I right about?" she asked making him chuckle softly.

"I am hiding something from you, something important." For the first time she looked right into his eyes, fear apparent in her own. She let her arms fell on her lap and kept looking at him, fear replaced by anger now.

"What?" she asked through her teeth.

"I was keeping a secret from you and I still am." He said simply, keeping an expressionless face. Beside the fact that he was lying to her for an entire week now, what made her head on the verge of explosion was his emotionless voice. _Does he even care?_ She kept thinking. It was really mean of Sayid to act like he was acting right now but it was for the sake of their relationship and even though he tried to push this thought away, the blank look she was giving him at that exact moment was pricelessly funny.

"Go to hell! You can keep doing what you're doing with the person you chose to, I don't care anymore!" she screamed, standing up. He stood up as well and grabbed her waist before she could leave and slam the door for the thousand times this week. He loved it when she overreacting, she reminded him of the spoiled child she used to be.

"Let go of me!" She ordered angrily.

"No." he said looking at her and giving her an amused smile.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked a little distracted by his behaviour.

"What is wrong with me? What is wrong with you? You really think I can cheat on you?" he asked, hurt obvious in his voice. Shannon's face softened when she heard the sound of it.

"Of course not." She finally said. "But you've been acting so weird lately; I don't know what to think anymore."

"I have a lot on my mind, it's true but I promise I will tell you everything in time. In fact, I was planning to have a dinner with you tomorrow night, where I could tell you everything. What do you think?" he asked with a smile. She looked unsure for a few seconds but before he could understand what was happening, she had wrapped her arms around his neck and was kissing him. Kate and Claire who were standing on the frame of the kitchen door looked at each other and smiled.

"Mission accomplished." Claire said with a satisfied smile.

"Good work Littleton." Kate said.

"Thank you. You did well too, Austen." Claire replied and they smiled at each other.

"Don't think you're off the hook." Shannon said with a frown. "We're not done!" she said and he nodded.

"I hope so."He said softly before brushing his lips against hers again.

The worst part of his job was what he did the next morning. He was not afraid at all but he knew that it was not going to be easy but it was important for Shannon. He respected Boone a lot; he could not ask his sister in marriage without telling him first. He arrived in front of Boone's apartment, took a deep breath and knocked.

"Hey buddy what's up?" Boone said opening the door smiling.

"Hey. I'm good, thanks. Can I come in, I have something important to tell you." He said seriously and Boone's eyebrows creased in worry. Shannon's brother step back and let his friend come in. Sayid went to seat on the couch and Boone went to the kitchen. He brought back two cans of coke and he sat opposite Sayid, handing him a can.

"So what's up?" Boone asked and Sayid chuckled.

"A lot. I've been preparing a surprise for your sister and it's taking a lot of energy and time."

"What kind of surprise?" Boone asked with a smile.

"A big one." Sayid answered mirroring his smile. "In fact I even had to go to New York."

"Really? When?"

"Wednesday. I went to see Shannon's grandmother." Boone's frowned again, intrigued.

"You went to see the mother of Shannon's mother?" he asked amused.

"Yes, she had something that belonged to Shannon's mother. Something that I really needed." He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a little back velvet box out of it. Boones tensed as he recognized it.

"You needed Shannon's mother's engagement ring? Why?" he asked although he knew why.

"I love your sister Boone, more than I loved anyone in my life before and I want to try to make her happy, for the rest of our lives. Tonight, I'll ask her to marry me." Sayid revealed unable to hide the smile that appeared on his face. Both men remained silent for a while.

"You came for my blessing?" Boones asked with a hint of surprise in his voice. He knew Sayid was a confident man who always did what he wanted. He was a little surprise to see him seating on his couch, asking for permission to marry Shannon.

"Well I'm not asking for your permission, I just thought you'd want to know." Boone nodded.

"Then I guess my next line should be Congratulations." He finally said with a smile and he held his hand to Sayid who shook it. They looked at each other smiling, got up and exchanged a manly hug. "It's really great." Boone added with a genuine smile.

"Thank you." Sayid said smiling back. They hang for a little while and Sayid left an hour later, relieved. He thought it would be the hardest part but it turned out it was the easiest. He went back to his apartment where he found Jack, Claire, Kate and Charlie seating in the leaving room. Shannon was still at work and called him while he was on his way back home to tell him that the photo call was going to be longer than she thought and that he had to call the restaurant to cancel the reservation. He tried to sound disappointed and hung up.

"So how is Boone?" Claire asked apprehensively.

"Good." He said winking. "It went great." He added reassuringly with a smile.

"You seem very proud of yourself." Kate pointed out with a smirk and he simply smirked back.

"She just called saying she would be late and I had to cancel our reservation." He said smiling widely.

"And how is that good news?" Charlie asked confused and Claire rolled her eyes.

"It leaves us more time to set the whole thing up." She said smiling at Sayid.

"You're going to help?" Charlie asked clearly not happy about the idea of Claire doing anything unnecessary in her state.

"Of course I am! Charlie, I'm pregnant not dying. I cannot seat around and miss the fun."

"We still have time." Sayid pointed out, looking at his watch.

"I'm hungry." Kate declared.

"Let's have lunch then." Jack proposed.

"Sounds good to me." Charlie said and five minutes later, they were all seating in Jack's car.

The day passed by pretty quickly. Claire and Kate had helped Sayid set up his surprise late that afternoon and now, he was seating in the girl's apartment wearing a fancy black suit, waiting for his girlfriend. When she arrived, it was past 10:00 PM and she seemed exhausted. She entered the living room and stop when she noticed his clothes.

"Are we still going somewhere?" she asked sounding tired.

"Yes we are." He said kissing her cheek. "The girls are waiting for you in your bedroom with a surprise." She threw him a quizzical look but he just nodded toward the door. She still looked unsure but she was smiling nonetheless; she loved surprises. She opened the door and found Lilly seating on her bed while Claire was on hers. Next to the blonde, a beautiful sleeveless green flannel dress was disposed on the bed, waiting for her. On the floor, just under the dress a beautiful pair of light green sandal was delicately standing. Claire smiled at her widely.

"Come on, we gotta get you ready." She said with excitement and grabbed Shannon's hand leading her to the bathroom. Half an hour later, Shannon went out of the room wearing the dress and the sandal. Her hair was beautiful pulled up in a chignon and several locks were falling loosely. Lilly had lent her light green earrings that matched her outfit perfectly and she was wearing just enough make up to accentuate her beauty. In other words, she looked absolutely stunning and even if he was the one who bought her the dress and the shoes, Sayid lost his ability to speak when she showed up. She smiled shyly at him and held her hand to him. He took a few steps and took her hand with his. They smiled at each other and she enjoyed the look in his eyes. It was a mixture of love and passion.

"I don't think there's a word in the English vocabulary which can say how much you're beautiful tonight." He said lovingly and she felt herself blush. She leaned and brushed her glossy lips against his, the kiss quickly deepened and she felt her knees go weak as he let his tongue slip into her month and explore it as if it was the first time. He reluctantly pulled away and they had to catch their breath.

"Thank you." She whispered and she hugged him tight.

"You're welcome." He answered with a smile. "We have to go."

"No, no, no, no, you're not going anywhere before we immortalize this moment." Lilly said and Claire held a digital camera in front of her eyes. Shannon smiled and Sayid rolled his eyes. They stood close to each other and he put an arm around her waist.

"Perfect match." Claire said before taking the picture.

"Can we go now?" Sayid asked and Claire nodded.

"Have a nice dinner." Lilly said before the door closed behind them. From the hall, Shannon could hear the high-perched squeal that Claire and Lilly let out once they were gone.

In the mean time, on the beach Jack and Kate were keeping Sayid surprise safe. With the help of the girls, he had set up a beautiful table, which was protected by a beautiful and high white tent. It was an open one, which aloud one's eyes to wonder around the beautiful sight in front of them. On each corner, outside of the tent they had driven in a long torch that was burning. It gave to the picture a wild and ancient side that Sayid appreciated and knew his lover will as well. He had ordered dinner from a luxurious restaurant and Jack and Kate were in charge of keeping the table safe and the food warm. They were seating on the chairs, silently looking at the crashing waves. Kate seemed lost on her thoughts and Jack could not help to think that she looked cute under the moonlight.

"So Kate, why did you volunteer to come with me on this dangerous mission of surveillance?" he asked making her look at him with a smile.

"Nothing good on T.V" she said shrugging and he chuckled.

"I mean, didn't you wanna be a part of the girly preparative?" he asked looking at intently and for her brief second she felt herself drown into his gaze. She regained control of her eyes and thoughts and shrugged.

"Claire and lily are Shannon's best friends; they are the one who should be with her. Plus I'm not that kind of girl; I've never been attracted by girly stuff." She explained and he nodded.

"Thought so too." he simply said looking back at the ocean. She kept her eyes on him for a little longer than she should have and eventually mirrored his position to watch the ocean as well. They sat in a comfortable silence for a long time, looking and smiling at each other from time to time.

"You know, the last time I swim in the sea I was nine." She said with a smile and chuckled at the chocked expression he was giving her.

"How come?" he asked gently.

"Don't know. My mom used to work a lot so she did not have enough time. I used to go with a friend of mine when we were kids but when his parents divorced we just stopped going." She said with a sad look that broke his heart. He did not know what to say after that, he was not used to hear talk about herself.

"It's really too bad. I love swimming." He said with a smile. She really appreciated the fact that he did not try to comfort her, although the warm smile he was giving her was soothing. "Especially by night." He added and his smile turned into a smirk. She noticed a wicked sparkle crossing his eyes and she felt herself tense apprehensively. He got up from his seat and dangerously got closer to her.

"You wouldn't dare." She said and his smirk widened. "Come on Jack, we're clothed and we had to keep an eye on the table and…" but before she could finish he shoved her over his shoulder and he ran toward the water. She felt impressed and, even though she would never admit it, slightly turned on by how easily he had lifted her up. She began to laugh hysterically as he stepped into the water. He lead them far enough for the water to reach his elbows.

"Jack let me go!" she said between two giggles.

"As you want." He said with a chuckle and he threw her under the surface. After a few seconds, he began to panic when he realised that she was not coming back up. Suddenly he felt her arms around his knees and before he knew what was happening he was falling. Before he could regain the control of his members, she was crawling over him and keeping from moving. Despite the late hours, they could still see each other thanks to the moonlight. She gave him a playful look and he went along with it. He pulled away from her grip easily and put his arms around her waist. Her shirt was pulled up because of the water surrounding them allowing their skin to touch for the first time, he realised how soft, and warm her skin was despite the cold water. Their eyes were locked with each other's and even if they had tried to, they would not have been able to look away. Suddenly the lack of air became unbearable and he brought them both up without letting go off her. As they resurfaced, they took a long breath of air. They kept looking at each other, feeling attracted to the other one as they never felt before with anybody else. She realised that she had her arms around his neck and it explained why their bodies were so close to one another. She also realised how comfortable she felt in his arms. His grip was gentle and soothing but firm enough to keep her safe. She knew that if they did not stop now they would probably do something stupid, something they would not be able to erase but she also knew that while looking into his adorable eyes of his, it was the last thing she cared about. It was new; all of these feelings were new for her and they were keeping her warm. He had managed to do something nobody was able to do for ages; he made her forget her past and all her fears. She felt his thumb caress her arms and she felt herself shiver under his touch.

"Good job, guys!" they heard someone yell at them from the beach. Jack reluctantly looked toward the person and let go off Kate when he realised that it was Sayid. He looked back at Kate and smiled.

"We're in trouble." She commented making him chuckle lightly. She did not know what to feel anymore. When she heard Sayid, she felt a little relieved because he saved them from doing a huge mistake, even if it did not feel like it while they held each other. However, when Jack had let go off her she felt her heart ache from disappointment. They swam back to the shore and smile apologetically at the couple.

"Don't worry we were taking care of everything." Jack said.

"I bet you were." Shannon said with a wicked smile. She was standing next to Sayid; with one of her hand holding one of his while, the other one was holding her new pair of sandal. Jack turned to look at her preparing himself to roll his eyes at her but she stopped short when he finally got a better view of her.

"Wow, Shan'. You look amazing." He said making her blush a little.

"You really do." Kate added with genuine smile.

"Thanks." Shannon said mirroring Kate's smile. Jack looked at Sayid and noticed how proud he seemed to be. He nodded at his friends and they smiled at each other.

"I think our job is done here." Jack said and Kate nodded looking at him for the first time since they got out of the water. Jack was mesmerised by the sight he had in front of him. She looked even more beautiful than usual with her wet curls falling widely over her shoulder and the moonlight reflecting in her already beautiful green eyes. "I don't want to get sick." He said finally looking away from her.

"Oh, if I get sick then you will really be in trouble." She said making him raise an eyebrow with amusement. "Good night." She added winking at Sayid.

"Thanks." He said with a nod.

"I'll see you in the morning." Shannon added.

Kate and Jack left and Shannon turned to look at Sayid. She put her palms on his chest and slowly made her way to his neck. She leaned and gave him a passionate kiss. She pulled away with a satisfied smile.

"Thank you." She whispered and turned to look at the beautiful table he had prepared. 'This is amazing. It must have taken you a lot of time and work." She said putting her arms through his.

"Nah." He said shrugging and she raised an eyebrow sceptically. "Well yeah but I had help." He said and she giggled. "Shall we?" he said leading her to her seat. They sat and they began to eat and talking.

"So did you saw the look on Jack's eyes?" she asked with a smile that made him laugh. Some men could find annoying the fact the women loved gossiping but Sayid found that side of Shannon very funny and cute.

"Yeah. He looked at her like I look at you." He said and she smiled at how sweet it sounded. She loved Sayid's romantic side. She was used to this kind of surprises. He would always find fantastic ways to show how much he loved her. Even if tonight was to apologise about his cruel behaviour yesterday, usually it was just like that; because he felt like it. It seemed to make him happy and she could not be or feel more joyful.

"I love you, you knew that, right?" She said taking his hand in hers.

"Yes I did and I love you too." he answered and they leaned to share another sweet kiss. They kept eating until they were done. They talked and they laughed. Sayid's heart drop every time he saw her smile and he laughed at how stupid it was. They knew each other for more than two years now and she still had this strong effect on him. It was as if she had the keys to his heart and that he would not be able to survive without her. That is why he had done all this, not because he would feel proud of himself, not because he wanted something in return but because he wanted to make her happy for the rest of her life. He did not want to miss one single smile.

"Thank you Sayid, it was great." She said with a smile.

"You're quite welcome." He said and put a sweet peck on her cheek.

"You didn't have to though. I was a little mad but it was too much trouble."

"I didn't do it to apologise." He said seriously and she looked him with questioning eyes. "Tonight is a very special occasion." He added and she looked even more confused.

"Is it? Because I'm sure we didn't miss any anniversary." She said and he chuckled lightly.

"It's not that. I love you Shannon. You're making my life worthy; these past two years with you were the best of my life. You're the missing part of my soul…" as he was talking, he got up from his seat and knelt in front of her. She took a deep breath and put her hand over her mouth, realising what he was doing. Her heart filled with tears and he smiled putting a hand on her cheek.

"Don't cry sweetheart." He said caressing her cheek with his thumb. "I love you Shannon and I want to try to make you as happy as you're making for the rest of our lives. I want to have children with you. I want to be the only one." He took a deep breath and try control his shaky hand as it pulled out the small black velvet box. "Shannon Rutherford would make me the immense honour of becoming my wife?" he finished, opening the box and revealing her mother's engagement ring. As she recognised it, she began to sob and threw herself at him. He held her close and let her cry on his shoulder; knowing they were tears of joy. "Is that a yes?" he asked chuckling and she giggled. She pulled away but kept her hands on his shoulder, her face was gleaming from her tears and he swear he could see the moon reflecting in her chocolate eyes. She nodded vigorously.

"Yes I will." She replied her voice shaking from her crying. He felt his heart grew warmer and warmer as he smiled widely and slid the ring around her finger. She looked at it and smiled. It was perfect. She looked back at him, feeling happier than she ever felt.

"so does it mean that we're serious?" she asked with a smirk

"Quite definitely not, I I do that to all women I saw on my building hall." He said faking indifference and she laughed. She looked intently at it ans she knew that it was the best thing that could happen to her. She saw it in his eyes; she saw the real, the true and the only love.

A/N: this is it, chapter 8. I hope you guys liked it. I think I have to explain the Jate part. I wasn't planning on it, I wanted to dedicate this chapter to Shayid and only to them but this idea came to me as I was thinking of the next chapter and I thought it would be better to put it in here. I really enjoyed writing it and I knew you were waiting for something to happen between them so I really hope you enjoyed reading it. Please let me know what you think. I wanna let you know that I changed the ending as well. It was supposed to be more dramatic but a lot happened and I did not want to tell too much already but I'll definitely save the drama for a future chapter so be warned. Well enough for now, please hit the purple button, it really means a lot and it's helping me write.


	9. You must be

Disclaimer: you know I wish I would but I do not…nope I just checked again I still do not own Lost.

A/N: this is for all the Jaters. I gotta tell ya I've been planning this chapter for ages. I'm really excited. Just so you can picture it, in this chapter, Jack is wearing the same black suit and shirt he was wearing when (stupid) Sarah left him in "The hunting party". You know the burgundy shirt. Do you remember how sexy he looked? Every time I see it, have to hold on something just to keep myself from falling from my seat! Lol. I also wanted to say that even if this chapter is for all of you it's also dedicated to **kiips4 **who's always been really supportive and sweet to me. Anyhow, here's chapter nine of "Finding forever".

_**Chapter nine: You must be.**_

It has been three months since that magical night and even though it seemed improbable, life kept going as usual. Well, as usual as possible now that Kate was here, now that Claire was pregnant, now that Shannon and Sayid were engaged and unfortunately, now that Marie was gone.

Kate was slowly adjusting to her new life and was more and more attached to the place and the people that now had become good friends to her. She still had not talked a lot about herself and even if Shannon tried to make her talk, most of the time they did not bother her; thinking that she would open up eventually. Since that moment they shared at the beach, she and Jack passed a lot of time together but nothing happened. They still saw each other as friends and nothing more. Their was an undeniable attraction and chemistry between them but they knew they had to shut anything they felt for each other down, the situation being what it was it would be foolish to think that anything serious or anything more than friendship could happen between them. Jack was very engaged and leaving soon and Kate, well Kate was still herself and thought she was not aloud to have someone like Jack in her life after what she did to Tom. Despite some awkward moments and the constant teasing of the rest of the group, they could not help but spend as much time together as they were able to. They were like magnets; when one of them was somewhere, the other one was never far.

Claire was five months pregnant now. She and Charlie were getting closer everyday; so close that their friends made bets on how and when they would get together. It was quite amusing to watch them interact. Since they met, it was always Charlie who would throw hints but now that she was in the second quarter of her pregnancy, her hormones were getting the best of Claire's self-control. Once, Shannon had to stop her from jumping Charlie when she saw him liking off some peanut butter from his thumb.

"You would not want your first time with him to be like that." Shannon had pointed out trying as hard as she could to hide her smirk.

"It was not Charlie." Claire said blushing from her behaviour. "It was the peanut butter." She mumbled and even though it was not a complete lie, Shannon did not buy it. She simply nodded and helped Claire calm down in the bathroom while Charlie was still waiting in the kitchen, very unaware of what almost happened. Boys…

Kate, who was usually getting all the attention since she arrived into the group and who was constantly teased about her so called friendship with the handsome doctor, was glad that Claire and Charlie had taken her place. She even participated in the bet and to no one surprise she went with Jack on this one; they were convinced that Claire was going to be the first one to make a move.

The blonde was also really excited because she passed her final exams and finally got her psychology MA. She was officially done with school and Libby had offered her to work with her in her practice. Claire was not a doctor but with her degree, she could work with one. Her last months at school went fast because she had a lot to deal with and she did not even noticed or at least she tried to ignore the stupid people who began to judge for her, now, showing state.

Shannon and Sayid were more happy and in love than they had ever been. Neither of them was able to stop smiling since that night; they would have been perfect candidate for toothpaste commercial. Even if they were busy with their works and the planning of the wedding, they always found time for each other and for their friends, especially one of them.

Even though she knew it was coming, Lilly had a very hard time getting through the death of her mother. Mary passed away a couple of months ago, in her sleep. Sawyer helped with the funerals and Lilly pronounced a lovely speech that brought tears to every one's eyes. Luckily, all of her friends were there for her and even if she still found it hard to laugh or smile sometimes, she was slowly getting better. She was very grateful to all of them but she could not help but think that if it were not for Sawyer she would have gone crazy. He spent every minute of his free time with her, making sure she was ok and did not need anything. Of course, being his usual trying-to-hide-his-feelings-as-much-as-he-could-self, he tried to act as if it was not a big deal but to Lilly it the sweetest thing anybody have ever done for her. When she would try to thank him, he would respond that it was his pleasure and it helped him get his minds out of things, essentially Jack's departure. The group had noticed how close they got but unlike with Claire and Charlie they did not tease or made bets. They knew it was a hard time and that Sawyer would lose it if one of them would dare saying something stupid. They also knew that it was just a matter of time…

The group of friends decided they would throw a party for Claire's graduation. The women wanted to have something nice, with a little sophistication and fancy outfits whereas the men just wanted to buy a lot of bears and chips, put some loud music and dance through the night. As it was Claire's special night, they decided to go with the girls choices. At first, they thought about going to a nice restaurant and then go dancing and it seemed to be ok with everyone but the day after the plans were finally made, Jack announced in one of their Sunday dinner that they would be doing it in his parents' house.

"What?" Claire had exclaimed.

"It's my parent's idea. They said they were very happy and wanted to do something for you." He said with a smile. "Plus, I'm leaving in two weeks so you can't say no." he added making every one look sad. "Sorry, I didn't mean to spoil the mood." He said looking down. That was a week ago. Claire's party was tomorrow night and Jack's departure was dangerously approaching. None of them had the strength to think about it. Every time Claire did, she had a nervous breakdown and it was more exhausting than her pregnancy. Jack's parents, Margo and Christian, always liked their son's friends but they had a special interest in Claire. They always showed a lot of care for her and Jack always wondered why but he always came to the conclusion that everybody loved her anyway. How could they not? She was like a refreshing blow of air, she was dynamic, caring, and generous and the most devoted friend he knew. Jack and Claire always had some kind of connection, a bond that neither of them could explain but that both of them felt from the moment they met. Something deeper than a friendship but it was hard to explain because they never felt attracted to one another so it was not a romantic bond either. That is why, Claire had such a hard time accepting the idea that he was leaving.

Claire, Shannon, Kate, Jack and Charlie went a day before the party to help Margo with the preparative. The Shephard lived a little outside the city, in a suburb that looked just like Wisteria lane, minus the killing neighbours. Kate who was not used to this kind of neighbourhood felt kind of out of place. She was seating in front seat, next to Jack who was driving. He had noticed the change in her mood and gave her a reassuring smile. She did feel reassured for a few minutes but when they arrived in front of Jack's parents' house, she felt her stomach contract. She was sure that it was the biggest house she had ever since. When she got off the car, she just stood there, her eyes scanning the edifice and her jaw slightly open. Shannon, Charlie and Jack began to get their things out of the truck and were heading toward the house. Claire watched the brunette a little amused, they were there for five minutes now and she had not moved yet. The blonde put her arm through hers and lead her toward the front door.

"Don't worry, it's going to be ok." She said with a nod but Kate was still feeling uncomfortable. When they came in, Kate saw Shannon talking to a brown haired woman in the entrance hall.

"Claire." Margo exclaimed and came closer to hug her.

"Hi, Mrs Shephard." Claire said with a shy smile.

"How many times do I have to tell you this? You can call me Margo." She said with soft smile.

"Mum!" Jack exclaimed from the stairs. "Leave her alone." Jack said chuckling. He came down the last steps and stood next to Kate. Margo followed him with her eyes and they lit up when she saw her.

"You must be Kate.' She said smiling and Kate nodded while they shook hands.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs Shephard."

"Please, call me Margo, nice to meet you too. I've heard a lot about you." She added glancing at Jack who shifted slightly next to Kate.

"Mum." He said annoyed.

"Okay, we have a lot to do." Margo said ignoring Jack's complaint and turned to Shannon, Claire and Charlie. "Jackie why don't you go show Kate her room and I'll take these three to the kitchen." She said. Charlie could not help but laugh at how Jack's face fall when his mother had called him 'Jackie'. Mother and son looked at each other and Kate was not sure but she could swear they were communicating with their eyes. Margo quickly winked and led the rest of the group to the kitchen. Jack and Kate were left in the hall looking at each other and Kate sensed that he was a little embarrassed. She slid her hand through his and squeezed it. He looked down and smiled at her gratefully.

"Now, Jackie show me my room." She said sweetly and without hiding the smirk.

"Ok," he said letting go off her hand and taking a step back. "if you want to stay friend with me, you have the strict obligation to never call me like that again." he said trying to be serious but how could he remain serious when she was looking so adorable with her lips curled in a smirk? She laughed and grabbed his hand again.

"I'm the guest, I can call you like I want." She declared her eyes smiling and she led them upstairs even though she had no idea where she was going. When they arrived upstairs, she stopped and looked at him expectantly. He smiled when he saw her expression, she reminded him of a little girl. He tightened the grip of her hands but it remained very gentle and took the lead. Kate was not wrong, thinking that it was the biggest house she has ever seen; they took at least three turns before getting to her bedroom. Jack opened the door and gestured for her to come in. the room was bigger than most of the place she had lived in. their was a king sized bed in the middle, a big and comfortable armchair by the window, and a mahogany dressing table was standing next to a door in the left side. The drapes and the duvet were matching and it gave to the room a very pleasant and soothing aspect. On a little table next to the armchair, Margo had settled a bouquet of the most beautiful lilies Kate had ever seen. Their petals were so perfect and so white that she could not take her eyes away. She came closer and leaned to smell one of them. Jack stood in the middle of the room, looking at her, and found himself smiling. She looked beautiful and even if it seemed odd, she seemed to fit here.

"It's beautiful." She said with a smile.

"You'll get used to it." He said shrugging.

"I don't think so." She said chuckling.

"Everybody does." He pointed at the door next to the dressing table. "It's your dressing, you can put your stuff in here and the bathroom is two doors down." He said and she laughed. "What's so funny?" he asked with a smile.

"Nothing, it's just… I do not have stuff to put in here; I just have my dress, a jean and a tank top." She explained.

"Well that's a start." He said making her smile. He always knew what to say to make her smile, which was fine with him because he loved her smile.

"Shit!" she exclaimed after a little while. He looked at her an eyebrow raised. "I forgot my PJ"

"It's not a big deal; we must have one for you. Now I'm gonna head down and let you settled down."

"It won't take long." She said pointing at her small backpack and he smiled.

"You can join us when you're done." He said before leaving. When he was gone, she took a deep breath and looked around herself. Never, not even in her wildest dream, she had thought she would get the chance to spend three days in a room like that. She smiled at herself and looked at the bed. She run toward it and jumped on it. Just when she landed on it, Jack opened the door and came in. Apparently, she had not noticed him because she kept on jumping. He watched her jumping and laughing and began to laugh as well. She stopped dead when she heard him and looked toward his direction, embarrassment obvious in her eyes. She quickly got down from the bed and straightened her hair that was somewhat messy from all the jumping. As he did not stop laughing, she crossed her arms and looked at him reproachfully.

"Have you ever heard of knocking?" she asked, one of her eyebrow raised.

"I'm sorry." He said trying to regain control of himself. "I just came to tell you that my room was just next to yours if you needed anything." He said more seriously.

"Ok." She simply said, still annoyed. He looked at her and she saw the affection in his eyes. She softened and could not help but smile a little.

"What?" she asked when he kept on watching her, his lips curled up in an amused but soft smile.

"Nothing… you look sweet." He said looking right into her eyes and she felt her heartbeat quickening.

"So do you, Jackie." She said with a smirk trying to hide her true feelings as per usual. He rolled his eyes and chuckled before leaving. She fell on the bed behind her and looked at the ceiling. She found herself thinking about him again; she was doing that a lot lately. She thought about his eyes and his smile and realised that she was going to miss them.

Later that night evening, Jack, Kate, Claire, Shannon and Charlie were seating around the kitchen table, seeping cold drinks and exhausted by the hard day they all had. The girls had helped Margo with the decoration of the house; hanging wreath and balloons while the boys were waiting for all the deliveries and helped dumping on all the food, the chairs, the tables, the flowers and the place settings. Charlie and Jack had tested both their patiences and their physical strengths today.

"Remind me and my tired muscles why we had to do that today?" Charlie asked, rubbing his upper arms tiredly.

"Because mum is working tomorrow and we would not have been able to do all that without her." Jack answered with the same worn-out voice that Charlie used.

"We should have listen to you guys and just throw a normal and degraded college party." Shannon said taking a sup of her cup and they all nodded too exhausted to even laugh.

"I think I'm gonna head to bed." Claire said rubbing her belly. "Shan'?"

"I'm right behind you." Shannon said and they both got up from their seats. Claire kissed Charlie and Jack and the two blondes went upstairs. The rest of them finished their drinks in silence not even bothering to try making conversation. Kate yawned for what seems the hundred times tonight so she decided to go sleeping as well.

"Good night boys." She said standing up.

"Good night." Kate looked at Jack, put her hand on his shoulder and did something she never did before; she leaned and kissed his cheek. She let her lips linger there for a moment, enjoying the feeling of his soft skin. Jack was a little bit confused at first but he just listened to his primary instinct that told him to enjoy the moment and leaned to her touch. She, eventually, pulled away but stayed close enough to be able to whisper in his ear.

"Good night Jackie." She said sweetly and he chuckled.

"Hey! What about me?" Charlie said faking offence, making her laugh. She went next to him and kissed him as well but both men noticed that this one was quicker, more like a peck. She finally left the kitchen and Jack and Charlie looked at each other. Jack's cheek was still burning from the sensation of her hot and soft lips. He rubbed the spot as if to make sure that it really did happen and smiled at himself. Charlie crossed his arms and smirked. He was about to tease his friend about his goofy smile but Jack was faster.

"Good night Charlie." He said sternly and got up.

"Good night, Jackie" he said trying to sound like Kate.

Jack came into his room, the one he spent his entire childhood in and threw himself on top of the bed. He buried his head in the pillows and was debating whether he should take his clothes off when he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." he said seating up. A smile immediately spread on his face when Kate came in and closed the door behind her.

"Hey." She said in an almost shy whisper.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked.

"Oh nothing. It's stupid. I told you I forgot my pyjamas and I thought I could borrow one of the girls' but they happened to bring only one each." She explained.

"It's not a problem I can lend you one." He said standing up and heading toward his dressing. While he was in there Kate took a look around herself and smiled. His room was still the same as it was when he was a teenager or at least that was what she could imagine, since she did not knew Jack at the time.

"There you go." He said from behind her. She turned around and took the clothes he was handing her. "It's a little old, the last time I wore these I was in high school." He said with a small smile.

"It's perfect; I don't think I would have fit in one of your actual clothes." She said mirroring his smile. "Thanks." She added and left the room.

Half an hour later, he had showered and was ready to go to bed when he heard his cell phone. He sighed knowing exactly who it was.

It has been at least two hours since she had gone to "her" room and to bed but Kate was still wide-awake. It seemed that sleep had forgotten her tonight. She kept on turning and tossing in her bed unable to close her eyes. She kept on thinking about Jack and everything that happened these last three months. Shannon and Claire had become like sisters to her, the rest of the girls were great as well and the guys were always there when she needed them. And there was Jack. Jack who had became so important to her that she could not imagine her life without him. She found herself resenting Sarah for taking him away from her and she hated herself for letting these kind of emotions settle in her heart. She left her home when she was 18 and since then she had never let anybody enter or even came close to her heart. Then she came to Los Angeles, met these people and fell in love with every one of them. They made her laugh, smile and more than anything, they made her care. For the past six years, the only person she ever cared about was herself. Now she could not stop worrying about her new family.

Family.

It was strange. Claire, Shannon, Jack, Charlie, Sayid, Lilly, Sawyer, Libby, Jin, Sun, Michael, Marissa, Boone and Ana Lucia had become a family to her; something she never really had.

She sighed with frustration and decided to go to the kitchen to get some hot milk; it was something her mother taught her and that always made her sleep. She cautiously went downstairs and headed toward the kitchen, loosing her way only three times this time. The house was so quiet and peaceful that she was afraid to make noise. She turned the kitchen lights on and went to the fridge. She opened it and leaned forward, looking for the milk. She finally found it behind a bottle of wine and was about to close the door when she heard footsteps. She looked up and what she saw brought a cheeky smile to her face. Here in front of her, Jack was standing, rubbing her eyes and only wearing his pants.

"Oh!" he exclaimed when he finally noticed her. "I didn't know you were awake." He said averting his eyes from her. _'Don't look down Jack!_' he ordered himself. It was difficult to obey though, since she was only wearing the t-shirt he had lent her. He covered all her upper body and the upper part of her thighs but her delicately tanned and perfect legs were uncovered and it was as if they were daring him to look at them.

"Yeah I couldn't sleep, so I thought I would make some hot milk." She said showing him the milk and slowly closing the door. She looked at him and noticed that he seemed tired. There was something more but she could not put her finger on it. _'Try to concentrate on that instead of his tattoos_.' She thought trying to stay focused on his eyes. "Do you want some?" she asked and he nodded gratefully." Kate proceeded on preparing the drink and Jack sat on the counter.

"So… what's wrong?" she asked seating across of him and giving him his mug of hot milk.

"What do you mean?" he asked confused by her question.

"I mean what's wrong? You seem tired." She said her brows frown with worry.

"It's just all the work we did today…" he tried but she cut him and threw him a sceptical work.

"You know you shouldn't underestimate me, I know you Jack. Well, I know you well enough to tell when something is wrong. Something is bothering you and it has nothing to do with what we did today." His expression softened and he gave her a sad smile. "You can talk to me if you want. I know we rarely discuss the important things but you can confide in me. I'm a good listener." She finished with a soft smile and he felt himself melt. How was she able to do that to him, it was a mystery. All he knew is that she just had to smile at him like that and he would try to bring the moon down for her. No women as ever managed to make him feel this way.

"It's Sarah." He said and she could hear how tense he was. "She called me two hours ago, we had a fight and I couldn't sleep since then. It was a big fight. She wants to take some time off." He said sighing.

"Why?" Kate asked, utterly chocked by this woman's behaviour. How could anybody _want_ to take some time off from_ Jack_? It was beyond her understatement.

"Well, we were talking about last week and I was telling her how hard it would be to leave you all." He said looking at her and saw how much he was in pain. "Apparently she thinks it would not be that difficult if I truly loved her. Sometimes it amazes me how stubborn she can be. She doesn't understand how much I care for you guys. You're like my family." Kate could not help but smile at his words. "She kept going on about our relationship and how much I neglected her because of my friends or my work. This when it got ugly." He said with sad chuckle. "I made a mistake. I told her that if I had someone worth it I would try harder. I-I-I didn't mean to…to say that. I just blurted it out and I couldn't take it back. I screwed up and she was mad and I just didn't know what to do but I soon forgot my guilt…" he said rubbing his short hair, a sign of frustration that Kate recognised immediately. He looked at her, hesitating, not sure if he should carry on but she took his hands in his and rubbed it.

"What happened, Jack?" she asked in a whisper.

"She was cheating on me." He said bitterly, his beautiful eyes full of hatred. The sparkles were gone and Kate wondered if they would ever be back again. She was in chock. _'This woman must be the stupidest woman alive_' she thought. "I wasn't around enough so she went and cheated on me. How could she do that?" he asked letting go off Kate's hand and standing up. He began to pace back and forth in front of the counter. "We were engaged, I was willing to scarify all my life for her and she fooled me?" he felt the anger built up again in his chest. He stopped pacing and put one of his hands on his hip while the other one covered his face. He could not break down! Not in front of Kate, not because of Sarah. But he did it. He felt his eyes filled up with tears and he let them fall. Kate got up from her seat and came near him. She delicately took the hand that was covering his face on hers and dries his tears with her other hands. He relaxed under her soft and caring touch. He sniffled and she hugged him.

"I'm sorry Jack." She whispered and held him closer. It was the sweetest and the best embrace they both ever had. It was literally pourring all his anxiety and fears out of his body. Jack held her close to him and despite his awful mood; he smiled at himself when he smelled her hair. He also liked how she fitted in his arms. Her head was lying on his shoulder and he had his head buried in her neck. Their breaths were sending shiver down both of their spines but they did not try to control that, even if they had wanted to they were unable of such a thing. They stayed like that for countless minute, neither of them wanting to let go.

The next day passed really quickly. Between the latest preparative and the huge Sarah/Jack bomb, things were pretty crazy. It was almost time for the party and the girls were getting ready in Kate's room (since it was the biggest guest room) while the guys were getting ready in Jack's.

"She is a total bitch!" Shannon exclaimed while putting her necklace on. "How could she do that to him?" she asked.

"She's stupid." Kate and Claire chorused which make them all giggle. "You know what? We should stop talking about her. It's Claire's big day and I'm sure she isn't worth the energy. Plus; I'm sure Jack would be happy to stop hearing about it." Kate said and the blondes nodded in agreement.

"He seemed so broken this morning. I know it's bad but I hate her!" Claire said.

"I don't." Shannon said and Kate and Claire turned to look at her with stunned look on their faces. "Jack isn't leaving now. She managed to do what we were trying to do for the last six months; she made him stay." She said with a huge grin.

"Are you ok buddy?" Charlie asked Jack who was helping him with his tie.

"Yeah, don't worry Charlie, I'm fine." Charlie raised an eyebrow sceptically. "You know yesterday when we were talking on the phone, I realised that it wasn't such a big loss. She wants to take some time off but I won't waste my time trying to fix this relationship, not anymore. It was hard from the very beginning but I tried because I thought everything would be all right in the end. But it never got better, it just got worse and we became stranger. I'm just angry that she almost let me leave you, knowing fully that what she was doing was wrong." Charlie nodded in understatement. He already knew all that because he had witnessed Jack and Sarah's relationship. He never was fully happy with her and neither was she. It was just bizarre to actually hear Jack saying those words.

Jack had finished with Charlie's tie and they both turn to look at themselves in the mirror.

"We look very snazzy, don't you think?" Charlie said with a grin and Jack chuckled. Charlie was wearing a grey suit with a white shirt and Jack was wearing a black suit with a burgundy shirt that fitted him perfectly.

"We do." Jack said. "But we should take off the ties." And Charlie nodded with agreement.

"Yeah it's better." Charlie said looking at himself in the mirror when he had taken off the tie.

"Let's get downstairs; the guest will be here soon." Jack said and they went out of the room.

Sayid was the first to arrive followed by Hurley and Libby. She was wearing a beautiful silk brown dress and her hair was held up graciously.

"Where are the girls?" she asked putting her arms around Hurley's waist. The five of them were standing in the entrance hall.

"We're here." Shannon said and they all turned around to look at the stairs. Sayid's jaw dropped to the floor when he saw his fiancé in her light pink dress.

"You look amazing." He said clearing his throat.

"Thanks." She said with a sheepish smile. "You don't look too bad yourself." She said kissing him.

Claire came after her and jack had to keep Charlie from falling down when he saw her standing in her beautiful black and long dress. Her hair was straight and was loosely falling over her shoulder. Her tummy was slightly showing but it made her look even prettier, she was literally glowing.

"Bloody hell." He whispered and Jack chuckled lightly. Claire came closer to him and stood almost shyly between him and Jack.

"You look amazing." Jack whispered in her ear and gave her kiss on the cheek. She smiled and thanked him quietly. Jack knew it would make Charlie react.

"You look more than amazing, you look like an angel." He said beaming.

"Awwww, you're so sweet." She said and kissed him on the cheek.

"Where's Kate?" Hurley asked, although he was not the most eager one.

"She had some trouble with her shoes but she will be down soon. She said we didn't have to wait for her." Shannon said looking at Jack who seemed a little disappointed.

"We should head to the buffet." Claire said and they all agreed; all except Jack.

"Go ahead guys, I'll wait for her." He said. They nodded and left him standing alone in the entrance hall, his hands shoved in his pockets. He looked at himself at a mirror and realised that he was more excited by the idea of seeing Kate in her dress than going to New York with his (ex) fiancé.

"I said I didn't want for you to wait here." He heard her soft voice behind him. He quickly turned around and he knew that this moment was going to change the rest of his life. They say you recognise the one you're supposed to spend the rest of your life with when you see them and Jack always thought that it was a stupid concept, but at that exact moment, as he was looking at Kate, he knew he was wrong. There were no words to describe how beautiful she looked. He felt his heart explode and his knees going weak. She was wearing a long burgundy silk dress, which was sleeveless. Her hair was straight as well but half of it was held up. Her usual beauty was accentuated by the light make up she had put on. To his surprise, she seemed embarrassed. He suddenly realised that he must look stupid and somewhat frightening looking intently at her like he was doing so he straightened himself and took a deep breath.

"Wow, Kate… you look great." He finally managed to say. _'Great? You have a medicine degree and all you found to say is great?_' he thought bitterly. He panicked when he was the discontent in her eyes.

"Thank you." She replied but it seemed like a polite answer. He took several steps toward her.

"You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." He said seriously and she smiled warmly.

"Thank you." She repeated but there was clearly a lot more emotions in this one.

"Shall we?" he asked holding his hand for her and she took it.

Claire's entire friends and family were present and the party went very well. She received many presents but the most important thing for her was that Charlie did not let go off her hand all night. Another good news was when Sawyer and Lilly arrived, holding hands as well. Shannon almost chocked when she saw them kissing. Sawyer smirked and she laughed. For the first time in two months, Lilly was smiling and they were not forced smiles. They were real ones, full of warmth and love.

Jack and Kate spend the entire evening together, dancing, eating and laughing. It seemed as if his fight with Sarah never happened, in fact it seemed as if she never had existed.

The party was soon over and the guest began to leave. The only one left were the one that helped settle the whole thing up plus Boone.

"Let me grab my stuff and we could leave." Kate said heading upstairs.

"Jack, you're not coming?" Boone asked.

"No, I think I'm gonna stay for some days." He said and they smiled at him sympathetically. "Shit. Kate's stuff isn't in her room anymore. Excuse me." He said and jogged upstairs. A wicked idea crossed Shannon's mind.

"Let's go guys." She said opening the door.

"But Kate's not here yet." Charlie reminded her.

"Exactly. If we leave, she would have to stay here for the night…with Jack." She said with a smirk.

"Brilliant!" Charlie exclaimed and they all left the house laughing.

A/N: that's it. Chapter 9 for all the Jaters. I really loved writing this one so please guys tell me what you thought and leave a lot of reviews. Thanks to kiips4 and x-kate-x who were amazingly sweet to me :) . I know I said Sarah would show up soon but I don't want to do that now. She will show up but later. Next chapter is going to be great I'm so excited about it. It will be a 100 percent Jate chapter (spoiler: they'll leave town together!) I'll try to update soon, I promise.

Oh and before I forget, the song that inspired me is "U must be" by Gena Rene.

Thanks again to all of you, you rock!


	10. So into you

Disclaimer : I do not own Lost, if I did, all we would see is shirtless Jack… lol.

A/N: Thank you guys for your wonderful reviews on last chapter, you cannot imagine how much I appreciated it. You guys are the best! This chappie is dedicated to x-Kate-x who is wonderful!

The song I used for this chappie is "So into you" by Tamia. It fits Jate so well. Chapter 10 guys! I'm so excited!

**_Chapter ten: So into you._**

Jack knocked at Kate's door.

"Come in." he heard her say and noticed the hint of frustration in her voice.

"Hey." He said softly stepping in the room. "Uh… I forgot to tell you that I put your stuff and your backpack in my room." She looked at him confused. "It's all my mum's doing. She said she would be using this room as a cloakroom… she said it would be simpler this way…" he stopped when he heard a car drove away. Kate heard it as well and they looked at each other a flash of confusion crossed both of their eyes. They went to the window and looked through it.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed when she saw Boone driving out of the aisle.

"What are they doing?" he asked.

"They're leaving me here!" she said, anger obvious in her voice.

"Why would they…" he began and she looked at him, raising an eyebrow. He understood and suddenly realised how close they were from one another. She was the closest to the window and he was right behind her, his chest pressed against her back. His hand was pulling the curtain off, so his arm was resting on her shoulder.

"I'm gonna kill Shannon!" she said turning around to face him. That is when she noticed his smile. "Why are you smiling?" she asked angrier by the second.

"I'm not smiling." He said taking control of his (adorable) lips again.

"Yes you were! You think it's funny, don't you?" she asked pointing a threatening finger at him.

"Well I have to admit that it was a good idea." He said trying not to smile again but he could not help himself when he saw her jaw contract and her eyes widen in disapproval. She slapped his upper arm and past before him, pushing him in the process.

"Don't you think you're overreacting?" he asked chuckling. She turned around so quickly that she almost fell from her high hills.

"Maybe, but I have the right to." She said and turned around again and without another word, she stormed out of the room. Jack laughed at her behaviour and he could not deny the fact that she looked absolutely and completely sexy when she was angry. He decided that he would let her calm down by herself for a little while and he will go looking for her in a few minutes. He went to his room, thinking he would be able to change in more comfortable clothes but he found Kate in his room, desperately searching for something.

"Uh… can I help you?" he asked more and more amused by her behaviour.

"If I see you smirk one more time, I swear I won't be able to keep myself from struggling you." She said stopping her search and turned to look at him, her arms crossed over her chest defensively. Jack found this idea hilarious but he did not show it, knowing that it would drive her crazy.

"I promise I won't." he said smiling softly and for a quick second he saw her relax but it was soon over as she straighten herself again and return to her research. "Tell me what you're looking for, maybe I can help." He said gently.

"I'm looking for my backpack." She mumbled.

"Why?" he asked confused.

"Because you're driving me home." She said simply but firmly.

"I don't think so." He said shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Really?" she asked glaring at him. "And why is that?"

"Because I can't."

"Sure you can, you're not drunk and I won't let Shannon win on this one, I'm going home." She said and she realised that it was the first time she used that word. He realised it as well and smile softly.

"Well, Kate I would love to help you but we don't have any cars left." He said and he saw the look of incredulity she threw him. "I lent my car to Hurley and Libby who had taken a cab to come here and my parents just left to spend of few days with friends." He explained. She groaned in frustration and sat on the bed.

"I swear, she's gonna pay." She mumbled and he laughed lightly.

"Oh come on Kate, it's not that big of a deal. You've already slept in this house and there are plenty of room left. If you keep throwing angry looks every where you will end up hurting my feelings." He said, slowly making his way toward the bed and seating next to her. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile.

"I'm sorry Jack, I know you wouldn't do anything inappropriate; not that you would want to anyway." She quickly added and averted her eyes, afraid of what she might see in his eyes.

Of course, he wanted to. How could he not?

"You gonna be ok?" he asked concerned and she nodded.

"Yeah, I just need to get off that dress and take a shower." she said.

"It's really too bad, you really look beautiful." He said softly and she smiled.

"That's what I've been told." She said getting up. "I think I'm gonna need another of your old pyjamas." She added.

"Uh, it was the last one, but I can give you one of my T-shirt… that's all you need anyway." He said smirking. He got up and she punched his arm playfully.

"Yeah and you won't need it anyway." She retorted smirking back.

"Touché." He said with a chuckle and she smiled cheekily, satisfied.

He loved that smile.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a shower to take." He nodded and smiled as he watched her step out of his room. When she was gone, he wondered what she would look like completely naked, hot water pouring down her perfect body. '_Beautiful' _he thought with a smile. Another image crossed his mind and this one made his entire body hum with desire and need. How would it feel to be right next to her in that shower, to be able to hold her and love her as if she was all his? He stopped his chain of thoughts when he realised that it was, indeed, inappropriate. After all, he had just broken up with his fiancé (even if Sarah did not know it yet), his life was a giant mess right now and despite all the feelings and attraction he felt toward Kate, there was something he could not forget, he barley knew her. This girl had tumbled in their lives three months ago and in spite of the amount of time they had spent together, he did not know her. She was a mystery, a beautiful mystery but a mystery nonetheless and he had the intuition that she did not want to be resolved. She had built up walls around herself to protect herself from something he knew nothing about and she rarely let him see what was behind them. However, he had begun to see who she really was. He knew that she was caring and generous. He knew that she was brave and was not afraid to face anything or anyone, except, perhaps, her own fears. He knew that she felt the constant need to feel safe but he also knew that she wanted to take care of herself alone. He knew that she could be stubborn and hated to be told what to do. It always made him laugh. In fact, he had laughed a lot this past three months, with her.

But regardless of her strength, he also perceived a fragility and that is why he was always drowned to her. He wanted to take care of her, protect her, tell her that everything was going to be ok and he wanted her to believe him.

He had spent what seemed a lifetime with Sarah, yet the time he spent with Kate was more precious and thrilling to him. Yesterday when she was holding in the kitchen, he never felt so much emotion for one person at one time. A simple embrace. That simple action made him feel more alive than a whole night of sex or a long and successful surgery. He thought about Sarah and cursed himself for staying in a relationship that made him so miserable. He should have listened to his friends and family but he wanted to prove them wrong. He wanted to show them and himself for that matter that he could do at least one good thing in his life. That was why he had tried so hard, that was what he always did. He fixes things. That was his job, his life, what he was born to do and sometimes it was hard to get rid off that habit. Despite all the anger and the bitterness that he felt toward Sarah and their relationship, he knew that he could not regret either of them. Life was like that. You stumble, sometimes you even fall but you have to get right up and begin to walk again.

He thought about Kate again, it seemed she was all he could think about lately. He compared both women and the relationships he had with them and felt himself tense. Kate tempted him more than he has ever been in his whole life but would she want to be with him, the way he wanted to be with her. He remembered that night on the beach and the look on her face while he was holding her. He remembered how she shivered under his touch and smiled at himself. Moreover, even if she wanted to start something, were the reasons he wanted to be with her valid enough? Did he want to fix her and her life, that seemed as crushed as his own was.

He was going to spend at least two days with her, alone. He had plenty of time to find answers to the hundreds of questions that were running through his mind.

After showering, Kate put on a dressing gown that was hanging on the bathroom's door. She let her, now curly hair again, fell loosely over her shoulder and headed downstairs. She went to the living room, sat on the brown leather couch and turned the flat screen television on. She knew there would be nothing good this late at night but she did not want to go to bed, still a little angry by Shannon's immature and stupid joke. If she were truly honest with herself, she would admit that she was not against the idea of spending some time alone with Jack, just to see what will happen. These past couple of days has been full of events and she could not deny that they were getting closer and closer.

'You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.' His soft words were still echoing in her mind. She would never forget the way he looked at her.

"Hey." He said from behind her, interrupting her thoughts. She turned to look at him and smiled. Unfortunately, he was fully dressed but he still looked cute in his grey and black pyjamas.

"Hey. I thought you were already gone to sleep."

"Yeah, I wanted to but I remembered you would have nobody to complain about Shannon." He said smirking and making his way toward her. She giggled and made some room for him next to her. "I'm not tired, which is odd considering what I've been through these last two days." He said laughing and she joined him. "Anything good?" he asked, nodding toward the television.

"Nope." She said shifting slightly next to him as his arm brushed hers.

"You wanna watch a movie? My dad has an impressive collection of old movies." He said.

"He seems to be a nice guy." Kate said looking at him with a smile in her eyes.

"Who?" he asked confused.

"Your dad." She said. "I've talked to him tonight. He's really nice." He chuckled but she recognized the sadness that shadowed his lovely face. She had the same expression when she was thinking about her mom or Tom.

"Yeah, my dad is nice." He said, tensed. "So do you wanna watch a movie?" he repeated, showing that he was not thrilled about the way the conversation was heading to.

"You don't want to talk about it?" She asked quietly and her question surprised both of them. She was not the kind of person who pushed other people into talking. She saw how his entire body tensed even more and decided to drop it before he would get angry at her, but seeing how his jaw contracted, it was obviously too late.

"Well, you and I do not talk about sensitive subject." He snapped more harshly then he wanted to.

"I didn't know it was a sensitive subject." She retorted, hurt by his harsh words.

"How would you know?" he asked getting angry, yet he did not know why.

"You could have told me, I'm not stupid, I understand these kinds of things." She said bitterly.

"But you never share anything with anybody. You know, you shouldn't expect people to trust you when you don't trust them." He said getting up from the couch and he stood right before her.

"I don't need you to trust me." She yelled, standing up as well. Their bodies were so close to one another that the only thing that could pass between them was air. "You know this much about me, so don't you dare judge me!" she exclaimed tears of rage building up in her eyes. "It's easy for you to talk about trust. Perfect life. Perfect family. Perfect friends. You'll never understand." She said turning around to leave but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back toward him. Her small body bumped lightly into his strong but soft one. His anger was soon gone when he saw her sweet face wet with hot tears.

"Try me." He said softly after a little while. He delicately dried the tears from her freckled cheeks with his thumb. She lowered her head and whispered.

"I can't." she said stubbornly. He titled her head up with his finger and made her look at him. He knew there was no escape when they were looking at each other. He smiled that genuine smile that made her heart melt, her stomach flip-flop and her knees go weak. The same smile that he gave her the first time their eyes locked.

"Yes you can." He said firmly but with some firmness as if he knew that she could even if she was sure she could not. He let go of her arm and took her hand instead. As usual, his grip was soft but this time it was also very tender. He slowly sat down on the couch and she followed him. She was still reluctant to talk so he decided to push her a little. Just like her, he was not the kind of person who pushed other people into talking, but it was different with her. He wanted to know her and he was a little tired and frustrated of waiting."Look, I'm sorry I yelled, I didn't mean to. I know it's hard, believe me, I had my share of bad things but…"

"But what?" she asked, her voice still broken by her crying. He looked at her and smiled.

"But I want to get to know you, the real you. I'm tired of this superficial relationship, knowing that we could have more." She lowered her head at his word and he squeezed her hand, smiling and glad that he had an effect on her. "I want to know the Kate that's behind the walls." He whispered gently. She kept her gaze down but he knew that she understood which walls he was talking about.

"What if you don't like what you see?" she asked looking back into his hazel eyes.

"There's nothing I would learn about you that could scare me or change my… mind about you." He almost said feelings but he knew she was not ready to hear that word. He was not even sure he wanted to say it. She felt herself blush a little but she did not break eye contact. It was those eyes, that gentle and caring look that made her want to stop running. She still thought about it but she never got the courage to actually do it. When he was looking at her like that, there was nothing she could not do. It was as if he could read her thoughts and whereas other people would have turn their back on her, he was still next to her, holding her hand and trying to sooth her. "I'm a big boy Kate, I'm sure I will be alright." He said reassuringly and he managed to make her smile. "And so will you." He added squeezing her hand again.

"Ok." He finally agreed. "But if I open up, you have to promise to do the same thing." She said with a daring smile.

"You've got yourself a deal." He said holding his right hand to her and she shook it. She took a deep breath to give her some courage and smiled.

"It's going to take a while." She said with a sad chuckle. "I could use some tea." She added with a sweet smile.

"Sure, let's go to the kitchen." He said and they both stood up. He never let go off her hand and she was glad he did not.

She sat on one of the stool next to the counter and watched him prepare the tea.

"We have jasmine, meant, camomile, apple-cinnamon…"

"Apple-cinnamon would be great." She cut him off, her face lighting up.

"Apple-cinnamon it will be." He said grinning, glad that she was smiling again. He finished the drinks, handed her a cup and sat down, opposite her.

"So what do you want to know?" she asked and she blew on her hot tea. He smiled at her action, thinking it was really cute.

"Everything." He answered thoughtfully.

"Ok. Uh… I grew up in Iowa in a very small town." She said smiling as she remembered her youth. "It was quite a change when I ended up here." She added with a chuckle and he smiled. "'Till the age of 10 I lived with my mom, Diane, and the person I still considered as the only dad I had, Sam. They divorced just before my eleventh birthday and a few weeks later, she was engaged with Wayne, the only man she truly loved. They dated in high school and she never really got over him." he noticed a mixture of pain and sadness in both her eyes and her voice when she mentioned this Wayne guy. "Anyway, everything was good, not perfect but I wasn't unhappy. That changed on my fourteen's birthday. That night, after the party, he came into my room…" she trailed off, the memory still too fresh and awfully threatening in her mind. She looked up at him, and saw the shock in his eyes.

"He…?" Jack tried but the words were stuck in his throat. Kate nodded and he was stunned to see that her eyes were, now, lifeless. There were no more emotions in them, no more tears, no anger, no frustration, nothing. They were cold.

"I'm so sorry, Kate." He said softly and the shock was replaced by compassion in his lovely eyes. As a doctor, he saw a lot of women and young girls traumatised by these kinds of experiences. When they came to him, they had shut all kind of communication down and he was unable to talk to them or help them, even if it was what he wanted to do. With Kate, it was different. She was his friend, maybe more. He felt anger, no, more than that; he felt hatred build up in chest toward this monster. Monster was not even the right word. Who can possibly do this to anybody…to Kate?

"It's okay." She said in a whisper that broke his heart because he knew it was a lie. You never get over things like that; it was simply impossible. You live with them and if you were lucky enough they did not destroy you. He understood why she was so reluctant about opening up.

"Kate, if you want we can talk about it later. I understand." He said softly.

"No, no." she said hastily. "I want to get through this… I need it." She realised. She never thought she could feel relief by talking about it and that is why she never did. Maybe it was him, it was easier to talk to him.

"At first, I tried to hide it because I thought it was my fault. I must have done something to deserve this. Tom, my best friend noticed that something was off with me. I did not tell him what but he told me I should talk about whatever was happening to my mum because he knew how close we were. That's what I did. I told her what he was doing to me and for how long it was going on but she did not believe me. He could not be able to do such terrible things. Just when I thought that my life couldn't get any worse, I learned something that changed me. He was my father. Sam wasn't my biological father, that monster was. He was a part of me and I felt dirtier than I ever felt." That is when the emotions in her eyes came back. She was crying and she was talking through her teethes because of her rage. He got up from his seat and sat next to her. He put an arm around her shoulder and she laid her head against his chest. She cried as she never cried before. It was the first time that she really cried about this whole thing and she thought that now that she started she could not stop. He let her cry; only holding her close so she could feel safe. After what seemed hours, she looked up at him and she smiled weakly.

"Thank you." She said and dried her tears.

"You're welcome." He said. She straightened herself and carried on with her story.

"Life kept going and the only thing that made sense to me was Tom." She said with a warm smile remembering her childhood sweetheart. "We've known each other forever and he was always there for me, no matter what. When people were turning their back on me, he never left. We loved each other. It was pure, innocent, perfect but just as anything else in my life I screwed that up too." she said her voice cold again. Jack frowned and waited for her to continue. "We began to date when I was sixteen, he was eighteen. He wasn't my first boyfriend but I thought that with him it was going to last forever. We were dating for six month when I got my driver license. To celebrate it, we went to a party and I got drunk. He was drinking as well but I beat that time. We had a fight during the party, a stupid fight, I can't even remember what it was about. I took his car keys and headed to the car…" she stopped and swallowed. He saw the distant look that she had in her eyes. It seemed that this memory was more painful than the previous one and cursed himself for making her suffer again. "I started the car up. I didn't think he would follow me but he did. He always did." She added in a sad whisper. "He got in just when I was about to drive away. I told him… well I yelled would be a better word. I demanded that he got off but he did not listen so I drove away and ten seconds later we had an accident." Jack knew that it was coming but he felt slightly stunned nonetheless. "I survived and he died." She said simply. She did not cry this time. It was probably because she had already cried a lot or because she did not want to cry again, he was not sure. "I swear, I thought my life was over. I killed my best friend, the only person that mattered to me. He died because of my stupidity…"

"No he didn't. It was an accident Kate. It's not your…"

"Please, don't." she said firmly. "I know you wanna help but believe me, it won't! Nothing you could say or do could change my mind about what happened that night."

"But Kate…"

"Please." She said, her eyes broken by the tragedy. There was always something shadowing her eyes, but he never understood what. Now he knew.

"Okay." He nodded slightly. "I'm sorry Kate."

"Yeah, me too." she said. "Then, Tom's parents pressed charges against me because they thought I was responsible for his death, just like every body else in the town. I didn't go to jail or anything but I had to work 300 hours to pay my due to the society and I had to follow a psychological program to help me go through the loss and the guilt that was overwhelming me." She said.

"Why? What happened, Kate?" he asked knowing that something else happened, something bad.

"I attempted suicide." She said her voice barely audible. "I swallowed a bottle of sleeping pills."

"Whose were they?" he asked trying to control the shaking in his voice.

"My mom's. She had trouble sleeping." She explained. "Wayne found me and brought me to the hospital." She said bitterly as if she regretted what he did. "A week later I was out and began the therapy and the work, while I was still going to school." She said, taking another deep breath before carrying on. "A year later I graduated and I left home, never looking back." She finished and looked at him, trying to read his eyes. She was surprised to see pain in them.

"Are…are you ok?" she asked concerned and that made him chuckle.

"That should be my line." He said and she smiled weakly. "I'm fine Kate, I'm just a little confused." He added and she threw him a quizzical look. "I mean you've been through so much and yet you seem… normal." He said searching for the right word and it made her smile.

"Thank you. It really means a lot to me. I mean I was used to people only judging me, throwing disgusted looks toward me. I deserved it…"

"No, you didn't." he said cutting her up firmly.

"Please…"

"No, let me finish, it's my turn to talk." He cut her again. "I know you think you're a horrible person but that's the farthest thing from the truth. Believe me; I know what I'm talking about, I'm a doctor." He said winking at her, making her smile. "Kate, I've watched you these past three months, a lot," he said seriously but blushing a little. "There's nothing wrong with you, you're an amazing person. I've seen you interact with all of us and every body loves you." He said taking her hand and squeezing it. "You just made a mistake, that's normal; you're human. Every body does mistakes. I did. So stop beating yourself up. I can't stand it." He said softly. It was the first time someone tried to comfort her. "After what that monster put you through, I think you should have more self esteem for yourself. You're a strong independent woman who has a nice life now and with your past, I think you deserve a medal or something."

"You think so?" she asked.

"I know so." He said and squeezed her hand again. She put her free hand above their entwined hands and smiled gratefully at him.

"Thank you." She said and leaned to kiss his cheek. The thought of kissing his wonderful lips that comforted her like nothing or no one else before crossed her mind and she never was as tempted as now but she knew it would not be the best time. She leaned back and gave him another grateful look.

"You're welcome, I'm glad." He said smiling.

"Me too." she said, relieved.

"So what you did after you left Iowa?" he asked casually, taking a sip of his tea.

"You have no idea…" she said giving a mysterious look, going back to being the joyful and playful Kate that he always knew. They spent the next hour taking about her numerous and thrilling trips throughout the country. Once she started talking, she was not able to stop. She talked about the people she met, the places she lived in and the job she did. He learned that she tried strip tease.

"No way!" he said his eyes shinning with curiosity.

"Yes." She said nodding. "But that didn't last long, I wasn't comfortable. I was very young and stupid." She said shrugging.

"I would have loved to see that." He said with a smirk and she punched his arm lightly.

"Well, I think you gonna have to wait." she froze when she realised what she said. Jack's smirk was quickly replaced by a shy smile.

"Really?" he asked, trying to hide the hope in his voice.

"Who knows?" She said, shrugging and they smiled warmly at each other. She yawned and he looked at his watch.

"It's getting late, or early." He said looking through the kitchen window and saw the first ray light. "Do you want to get to sleep?" he asked. She thought about it and looked through the window. She shook her head.

"Nope, I wanna watch the sun rise." She said with a cheeky smile.

"That's a great idea." He said softly, looking at her intently. They walked out of the house to the backyard, hand in hand. They sat on the wooden bench, very close to each other. She took a deep breath and smiled satisfied. She unconsciously laid her head on his shoulder. He watched her smile and he could not help but do the same. He felt happy because, she seemed happier. He felt like he helped her in some way and that made him somewhat proud of himself. When she had laid her head on his shoulder, he had let his head lay above hers. They silently watched the sunrise and he did not notice her, softly, drifting up to sleep. When he looked down at her, he saws that her eyes were closed and that she was breathing in a steady pace. He smiled and put a soft kiss on the side of her head. He was not sure but he could swear that he saw a light smile appear in her lovely face. He put an arm under her arms while the other found his way to her knees. He lifted her up softly and effortlessly. He slowly made his way back to the house, trying not to wake her and enjoying the feeling of her in his arms. He made his way to her room and delicately put her on the bed and under the covers. He put a quick kiss on her forehead and watched her sleep for a while. He was seating on the armchair next to the window and he did not realise that sleep was taking its lot on him.

She woke up, hours later and smiled at the memory of what happened that night. She rubbed the remaining of sleep out of her eyes and looked around the room. She grinned when she saw him; sleeping in the armchair. She got to her feet and slowly made her toward him. She knelt in front of him and put her hands on his lap. She saw his eyes flutter open and a genuine smile appeared in his face when he saw her.

"Morning." He whispered.

"Morning, sleepy head. What do you want for breakfast?" she asked. He looked at her intently, mesmerised by her beauty. "Jack?" she said.

"Whatever you want." He said and she smiled.

"Ok, go get a shower and I'll be down preparing pancakes." She said with a cheeky smile. He nodded and she rushed to the door.

Half an hour later they were eating in the kitchen, smile plastered on both of their faces.

"So how come, I found you asleep on the armchair of _my_ room?" she asked smirking.

"Dunno." He shrugged. "I must've falling asleep while I was watching you sleep." He said after a while. She blushed at his words. He smiled at himself, really glad that he had this kind of effect on her.

They spent the next two days together, talking, laughing, watching movies; simply enjoying the quietness and the togetherness. It was the best two days she ever had. The third morning, Jack's parents came back, finding them asleep in each other arms, on the couch. Jack stirred when he heard their voices and reluctantly opened his eyes. He found Kate seating next to him, slightly scared.

"Kate, don't worry. It's just my parents, they are not going to eat you." He said chuckling. "We're adults, remember?" She nodded and gave him a weak smile.

"Yeah but it's still embarrassing." She mumbled.

"Believe me, they've seen worse." He said smirking and she raised a questioning eyebrow. He ignored her. "Now, come on, let's say good morning." He took her hand and led her to the kitchen where they found Margo and Christian having breakfast.

"Morning Kids." Christian said.

"Good morning, Dr Shepherd." Kate said with a shy smile. Jack hugged his mum and went to seat next to his father.

"So how was it?" he asked, taking a banana from the basket on the table.

"Kate, darling, have a seat." Margo said and Kate finally sat next to Jack who smiled.

"It was boring." Christian said, answering Jack and everybody laughed. "I swear, if it wasn't for your mother, I would have come back two days ago." Jack and Kate exchanged looks, knowing exactly what the other was thinking. They were glad that he did not come back sooner. They shyly smiled at each other and Margo threw a meaningful look at her husband who smirked.

They spent the day with his parents and they drove back to their home in the end of the day. She was about to open the door of her apartment but he grabbed her hand, making her turn around.

"I'm gonna head straight to my place, I don't want to hear Shannon's teasing." He said and she giggled. "Kate, it was…"

"Wonderful." She finished and he smiled.

"Yeah, it was wonderful. Thank you for staying with me. I really needed a friend."

"I should be the one to thank you. You're the one who helped me. I never had such a good time with anybody." She added and their eyes locked.

"I feel the same way. I didn't thought about Sarah or about work. What's your secret?" he asked with a smile.

"Can't tell you." She said innocently and that made him laugh lightly. They looked awkwardly at each other for the first time in days.

"So I guess this is it." He said

"Yeah." She said taking a deep breath. She looked in his beautiful eyes and before she could stop herself, she was pressing her lips against his. At first, he was taken aback by her action, but when he felt her hot and soft lips on his, he kissed her back. She put her arms around her neck and he pressed her against the door, deepening the kiss. It was soft and tender but it was also full of passion and need. He had his right hand on her waist and his left one was in her hair, caressing her neck. She felt her knees going weak and thanked god that he was firmly holding her. They got lost in the kiss, forgetting where they were, all that mattered was each other. After what seemed hours, the slowly pulled back, needing air.

"Wow!" she said and he nodded. He licked his lips as if to make sure that it really happened and when she saw that she could not resist; she kissed him again. He smiled against her lips; he definitely loved this.

A/N: That's it. I hope you enjoyed it because I really loved writing it. Now you know Kate a little bit more. Tell me what you thought about that part of the story; I need to know if it was credible.

A kiss… and so much more to come. I know I said they would be leaving town together but I'm leaving that for next chapter.

Please review, guys, you know I love it.

x-kate-x, I hope you liked it.


	11. Sea breeze

Disclaimer: I still don't own Lost or its characters, I'm just using them for the fun and to pass time.

A/N: I can't even tell you how much I appreciated your review guys! Thank you so much, I'm really glad you liked chapter 10, here's chapter 11. I wanna a warn you about my updates which probably are going to slow down a little bit (yeah I know they already are slow) but I promise I'll try hard to satisfy you appetite as much and often as I can. Lol Sea breeze is a Tyrone Wells song and it's beautiful. Enjoy and please don't forget to review.

A/N2: Ida, this one is all for you…

_**Chapter eleven: Sea breeze.**_

_(Jack's point of view)_

She didn't seem to want to let go off me or my lips and I was completely okay with that. There are moments in life where everything around you goes in slow motion and end up stopping completely. This was one of these moments and for once in my life, it was a positive feeling. Positive was not the right word and while her lips brushed one last time against mine I wondered if there actually was a word in the English language to describe how good it felt to have her in my arms. We reluctantly pulled away and rested our forehead on one another, goofy smile plastered on both of our faces. She took a deep satisfied breath and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling as much as I did. Her hands were still holding my neck closely and delicately. She was running her fingers on the back of it, sending shivers down my spine and making me want to kiss her one more time. I was about to proceed when we heard someone clear his throat behind us. Kate's eyes snapped open and we looked at each other exchanging annoyed looks, knowing exactly who it was.

"Hum-hum." Shannon said smirking. Kate let go off me and I found myself missing her touch. She slowly turned around and my eyes finally looked up at the frame of the door. Claire, Charlie, Sawyer and Shannon were standing there, smiling or smirking with triumphal. Kate threw them a killing look that made me smile. She pointed an angry finger at Shannon.

"You're a dead woman!" she said.

"So how was you're week end? Anything interesting happened?" she asked smirking more widely and ignoring Kate's words.

"Yeah, no phone calls, no post cards, anything!" Sawyer said faking hurt. "You must have been damn busy." He added mirroring Shannon's facial expression. I rolled my eyes at him and he winked. I tried not to smile but I was too happy and, dare I say, amused by the situation that I couldn't help myself.

"What happened is none of your business! What you did was mean! I didn't even have a change of clothes; I had to borrow Jack's t shirts for three days!"

"And I'm sure that was horrible." Claire said making Sawyer, Charlie and Shannon laughing.

"I thought you would have at least tried to stop her." Kate said accusingly to Claire.

"If she hadn't do it, I probably would have." She replied, almost innocently. Kate turned to look at me, her eyes showing frustration and it didn't help when she saw me chuckling with them. She slapped my arm lightly and that made me laugh even more.

"Not helping!" she said through her teethes.

"Sorry." I tried between laughter.

"Ouh, their first fight as a couple." Charlie said and that brought both of attention back at the group. _Couple_. That was too soon for that and I knew Kate was not going to like it. I tentatively looked at her and to my surprise; I found her blushing and smiling.

"I repeat what happens between me and Jack is none of your business." She said and I was glad to hear that her voice wasn't shaking.

"So there is a 'you and Jack' now?" Claire said trying hard not to squeal and jump up and down. I smiled at her.

"Seriously guys! How old are you? Are we back in high school?" I asked.

"Stop smiling like an idiot and we might stop teasing you." Shannon pointed out.

"The same goes for you." Sawyer said to Kate who blushed even more.

"Ok! That's it." I came closer to the door, pushed them all inside, ignoring their protests and closed the door. I turned to look at Kate, and I have to admit that I was slightly nervous. She was smiling warmly and that was all I needed. I smiled back.

"Sorry about that." I said, shoving my hands in my jeans pockets.

"Don't worry, I kinda get used to them." She said shrugging and I laughed.

"It's the first time they like the girl I bring back home." I said and she smiled again. God I loved that smile.

"Well, technically, this isn't your home and it's normal, they already love me. Plus the only girlfriend you ever brought home was Sarah." She said taking a few steps toward me. I let my eyes travel up and down her body.

"Good point." I said. "So I should probably go take a shower…" I said looking nervously at the stairs. I wanted to go before I said or did something stupid that could ruin this moment. I knew Kate, a conversation about the possibility of an us, in the middle of the hall while our friends were eavesdropping on us from behind the door, ten minutes after our first kiss was not what she would want. I didn't want to push her, I was glad that something finally happened between us I didn't want to spoil it by going too fast. I was about to pick up my bag from the floor when she put her hands on my chest and pushed me against the wall.

"Are you trying to back up, Jack?" she asked in a seductive tone and letting her hands rest on my shoulders.

"What?" I asked confused.

"We kissed." She said smiling and I smiled back. "And it was damn good." She said looking right into my eyes, making me shiver slightly.

"I'm not going to argue about that." I said smirking and she nodded in agreement, smiling. She took a deep breath, as if she was trying to collect some courage before saying what she had to say.

"I don't know about you, but you were in my mind a lot lately and it's not to praise your ego or anything but what we did ten minutes ago was extraordinary. I never felt like this before." She added looking down and I titled her head back up with one of finger. I smiled reassuringly and placed a quick peck on her beautiful lips. She smiled and carried on. "Do you think it would be so bad if we tried?" she asked and the look in her eyes blew away the last bit of self-control I had left. I grabbed her by her shoulder and brought her closer to me, kissing her forcefully. She moaned against my lips and I deepened the kiss, needing more and more. We heard Sawyer whistle from behind the door and I felt her smile in the kiss. I pulled away and we grinned at each other. She kept her in my arms and she rested her head on my shoulder.

"You can't imagine how happy I am right now." I whispered and she smiled looking up at me.

"I think I have a pretty good idea." She said thoughtfully before kissing me again.

"Okay," she said pulling away from me and grabbing her backpack, "I should probably go inside and face our immature friends." She shouted toward the door and we heard Shannon's protest. She headed toward the door and was about to open it when I stopped her.

"Kate, wait." I said, taking her hand. "My parents have this little house in Santa Barbara and I'm going to spend my vacancy week there." I said and smiled, a little amused, when I saw her pout.

"Oh…" she said trying to hide her disappointment.

"I'm leaving tomorrow and I was wondering if you could call your boss for me?" I asked smirking and she looked at me questioningly.

"Why?"

"Because I want to take his prettiest employee with me." I said putting my hands on her hips, watching her face lit up.

"You're serious?" she asked.

"Yep." I said and she threw her arms around me to hug me. My head rested on her soft neck and the smell of vanilla in her hair made me go crazy. I felt like a high school boy again who was falling in love for the first time.

"I'll see what I can do." She said when she pulled away. She tried to head towards the door again but I kept her from doing that, my hand still holding her waist.

"Jack if you don't let me go, I won't be able to make that phone call." She said chuckling but I wasn't ready to let her go just yet. "Jack?" she insisted but I cut her off with another kiss. I can't say how long we stayed in that hall, kissing and holding each other but Kate told me the next morning when I picked her up that Shannon, Claire, Sawyer and Charlie had given up on spying on us, tired of standing still for so long. She had called her boss and he had given her 5 days off. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't more but I soon forget all about my negative feeling when I saw her coming out of her apartment, shyly, in her light yellow summer dress. She kissed my cheek and we headed to my car.

I knew we had a lot to work out but as I watched her seat next to me on my car I knew for sure that there was nothing better than knowing that she was with me. I promised myself that I was going to make these five days the best she ever had.

A/N: I know it was short but it's an update nonetheless, right? Please tell me what you thought, you know I love your reviews, you guys rock! I promise I'll be back soon with more.

If you're a prison break fan, I've wrote a fic. It's called 'Heartbeats' and I would love it if you could take the time to read and review that one too. And for those who didn't know, I published another Lost story called 'A part of me'. Please please please please please, check it out as well.

Thanks guys! With all my love, Héla.

Ida, I hope you liked it. Luv ya!


	12. Phone calls

Disclaimer: I don't own Lost, I just own this plot and some of the best reviews ever.

A/N: Yes, I know I'm a horrible person. I know you've been waiting for this so I hope you'll enjoy it. On another note, I have to say that I'm really glad Lost is finally back and with a fantastic episode.

No song for this chappie because…well I'm not gonna tell you, you'll see by yourself. Enjoy and please don't forget to tell me what you thought.

**_Chapter twelve: Phone calls._**

Jack and Kate have been gone for two days now, leaving their problem and their friends behind.

On the third morning, four of them were seating in the girls apartment. Shannon and Sayid had to go to work and Claire and Charlie were planning to go shopping for the baby; it seemed that it was all she has been doing lately. It was exhausting but she enjoyed every minute spent getting ready for the birth of her child. It was the first time she was bringing Charlie, though and she was sure it was going to be interesting. The four of them were seating in the kitchen, taking breakfast.

"I can't believe your plan worked." Claire said with a squeal and both Sayid and Charlie rolled their eyes.

"Could we drop the subject please?" Sayid pleaded.

"Yeah, you've been talking about Jack and Kate for nearly a week now, if you count the three days they passed in Jack's parent's house. I'm pretty sure you covered everything." Charlie said not even trying to hide the annoyance from his voice.

"Oh please. It's not like you haven't participated to our discussions." Shannon said and took sip of her coffee.

"First of all, this isn't called discussion; gossip would be a better word. Second of all, I stopped talking about it three days ago." He said defensively.

"It's not such a big deal." Sayid said. "We all knew it would happen."

"Yeah but it's still great. How romantic is this week going to be." Claire said inn a dreamy voice.

"I never thought Jack would ask her to go with him, though." Shannon said.

"You know Jack, he's a helpless romantic." Sayid said and they all agreed.

"Do you think he called Sarah?" Charlie asked.

"He did it when he got back the other day." Sayid said and his tone suggested that it had not been a pleasant conversation.

"How did it go?" Claire asked with concern.

"Not good. In the end I couldn't even understand what he was saying, he was yelling so loudly." Sayid explained.

"She had him. He loved her so much and she didn't appreciate what she had. Now, the only person she can blame is herself." Shannon said bitterly.

"Now he has Kate…" Claire added using her dreamy voice again.

"Let's not go ahead of ourselves." Sayid said.

"What do you mean?" his girlfriend asked frowning.

"I mean that it started like three days ago and you're already seeing them married." Sayid pointed out with an amused smile. "You always do that." He added.

"We did not…" Claire started but Charlie interrupted her.

"Oh please! I bet you already chose their children's names." he said chuckling and both women blushed.

"For your information it did not started three days ago. I'm pretty sure it started the first time they saw each other."

"So it's clearly not new." Charlie insisted.

"Yeah but it's still really exciting." Claire replied and Shannon nodded vigorously. At that moment, the men gave up, with a smile.

Sayid looked at his watch and hurriedly headed to Shannon's bedroom. Shannon checked her watch too and joined her boyfriend, leaving Charlie and Claire alone.

"So I was kinda hoping we could go see Boone today." Claire whispered and gave him a meaningful look that he, obviously, did not understand.

"Ok, but why are you whispering?" he asked confused and she rolled her eyes.

"Lord, give me the strength…" she mumbled under her breath. She looked at him and forgot her frustration when she looked at his eyes, which, no matter what the situation was, always showed care. She smiled slightly, her features softening and he smiled back even if he was still clueless.

"I want his help for a wedding present and I don't want the two lovebirds to hear about it." She explained him as she would explain to a four years old that 2+24.

"Whatever you want, love." He said before turning back to his cereal and without noticing her blush.

"See you tonight!" Sayid and Shannon chorused from the doorway and neither of them waited for Claire and Charlie's answer.

Four hours later, they were seating in a restaurant having lunch with Boone. Charlie and Claire had such a great time searching for clothes and furniture; they did not even see the time pass.

"I can't believe they're getting married in a month." Claire said.

"I can't believe they managed to organise a wedding for 200 guests in less than four month." Charlie added.

"What can I say, it's a genius work." Boone said smirking, feeling proud of himself and Charlie rolled his eyes. Shannon had chosen her brother to organise her wedding. She wanted to get married in summer and did not want to wait another year to do it, so she asked her brother for help, knowing he was the best.

"So, how have you been?" Claire asked him. "It's been a while."

"Nothing much, really. I'm busy with work." He answered.

"No hot dates?" Charlie asked raising his eyebrows and smirking.

"You know, the usual drill." Boone answered smirking back. "What about you guys?" Boone said throwing meaningful looks and putting them in an awkward situation. "Oh I see, no confession of burning love yet." He wanted to laugh at Charlie's embarrassed expression but the killing look Claire was giving him kept him from doing that. "Sorry…" he mumbled. Somehow, she looked ten inches taller than they did since her pregnancy. Boone knew better than to irritate Claire and she was obviously enjoying the power she had upon them.

"Any words from Kate and Jack yet?" he asked changing the subject and just as he finished asking his question Claire's cell phone rang. She looked through her purse and got it out. She smiled widely when the caller ID showed 'Kate'.

"Hi Kate."

"Hi Claire, how are you?" Kate asked and Claire could hear the smile in her voice.

"I'm good but forget about me, how things are going?" she asked her smile turning into a smirk.

"Things are… great!" Kate replied with a satisfied sigh and Jack who was seating next to her, his arm around her shoulder, gave her soft kiss. Claire heard it and giggled.

"How's jack doing?" Charlie asked loud enough for Kate to hear it.

"He's doing great." Kate replied.

"Are you guys planning on coming back?" Boone asked and everybody laughed. At that point, Claire decided to put the loudspeaker so everybody could participate to the conversation.

"Of course they will. You wouldn't want them to shorten their vacancy just because you miss them." She said.

"We've been gone for only three days." Kate pointed out.

"Yeah but Jack never left us for more than two days." Claire explained.

"Oh then does it means I'm an exception?" Kate said smiling sweetly.

"It does." Claire said with a genuine smile. "Now, go back to do whatever it was you were doing. Thanks for calling." Claire said.

"Ok, no problem. We miss you guys. Tell everybody we say hi." Kate said.

"Bye and try to keep it slow." Charlie said with a chuckle.

"By Claire, take care." Jack said ignoring Charlie's comment.

"You too, Jack." She said before hanging up and sighing contently. "They're so cute." Claire said making Boone and Charlie laugh. "Now let's talk about Shannon's present."

"What about Sayid?" Charlie asked.

"We'll take care of the groom later." Boone said.

"Yeah the bride is more important… for now." She added when Charlie glared at her and Boone laughed lightly.

"Not even together yet and already acting like an old couple." He said and Charlie and Claire threw him fries at the same time. "See, you just made my point." He said with a wink and they both rolled their eyes. They finished lunch and by the end, they figured what present they would get for Shannon and they even had begun to think about Sayid's one. They were standing in front of the restaurant and were saying their good byes.

"You're sure you don't want a lift?" Charlie insisted.

"I'm sure, but thanks. I have to see John and then get back to work." Boone answered with a smile. He shook Charlie's hand, hugged Claire tightly, and left after waving one last time at them. Charlie looked at Claire with a smile; she looked beautiful with the sun shinning and her blue eyes looking right into his heart.

"What now?" he asked.

"I wanna go home if that's ok with you, I' m tired." She said.

"Sure." He said and they headed back to Charlie's car.

Later that evening, Boone and John Locke were walking down John's street and they were having a heated conversation about politics. They were so caught up in their debate that neither of them saw the car that was coming right upon them while they were crossing the street…

In the meantime, Sawyer, Lilly, Libby, Hurley, Shannon, Sayid, Claire and Shannon were hanging around the boy's apartment.

"So how Freckles and the doc are doin'?" Sawyer asked.

"Please, for the love of Pete, Sawyer, don't go there." Charlie pleaded and Sawyer threw him a questioning look.

"We've past the last couple of days trying to make them stop talking about that particular topic." Hurley explained and Libby threw him a sad look.

"Jack this and Kate that… I swear to God I hear these names again today, I think I'll kill myself." Sayid said and they all laughed.

"Ok, then to answer your question and without saying their names, our two lovebirds are fine and actually having a good time." Claire said to Sawyer.

"Probably the best time they've ever had." Charlie added rolling his eyes.

"So we have Sawyer and Lilly who finally closed the deal…" Hurley began and Lilly who was seating in Sawyer's lap gave him a sweet kiss.

"Then the-two-who-must-not-be-named…" Hurley carried on making everyone laugh. "Dude, that leaves you two." he finished pointing at Claire and Charlie who were seating next to each other. Both of them looked at him angrily. They were tired of people trying to tell them what they should do and how they should do it.

"Yeah I think it's time fore some action." Sawyer said.

"Will you _please_, stop…" Claire began but was cut off by Shannon's cell phone.

"Saved by the bell." Libby said chuckling.

"I'm not done with you!" Claire said to Sawyer and Hurley menacingly.

"Hello… Yeah this is her… What? Wh-wh-what happened?" Shannon stuttered on the phone. Everybody looked up at her, worry written all over their faces as they saw tears of fear beginning to form in her eyes. "Ok, I'll be there soon." She said before hanging up. She quickly stood up and run to her room, Sayid and Claire right behind her.

"Shannon, honey, what happened?" Claire asked scared by her friend's frenetic behaviour. She was looking for her Jacket and could not find it. Sayid grabbed her by the shoulder to keep her from pacing and made her look up at him.

"Shannon, who called?" he asked gently.

"The hospital. Boone was hit by a car." she answered finally letting the news sunk in. Sayid and Claire exchanged terrified looks. He took his girlfriend in his arms and she run back to the living room.

"Shhh, it's going to be ok." He whispered in her ear.

Claire came back into the living room and Charlie came by her side when he saw her teary eyes.

"Who was it?" Sawyer asked with uncharacteristic concern.

"Boone is at the hospital, we gotta go there." Claire said crying now. Charlie took her in his arm and tried to calm her down.

"What happened?" Lilly asked putting a hand over her mouth and Sawyer squeezed her other hand.

"He was hit by a car." Claire answered after pulling away from Charlie.

"Ok let's go." Sayid said. He was standing in the doorframe next to a very distraught Shannon.

"Somebody has to call Jack and Kate." Hurley said.

"I'll do it in the car, now let's go." Sawyer said.

A/N: I know it's been a while and again I'm sorry. I hope you liked this chapter even if it was a little shorter than usual but it had to be this way. I left you with a cliff, I know I'm mean. Tell me what you thought and what do you wish happens next. Next chapter will be Jate centric again.

Please review…


	13. At last

Disclaimer : Oh come on, guys ! Seriously ! What the hell would I be doing in nowheresville France if I owned Lost??? I'd be on some Hawaiian beach, lying next to foxy or even better, lying on top…sorry, I got a little carried out here, lol. It is not mine, I swear.

A/N: so I know it's been nearly a month since my last update but I warned you a long time ago that would be incredibly busy (I didn't even have the time to watch _Further instructions_ yet, if you can believe it or any other episode for that matter!). Anyway, this chapter will return to our favourite couple and it's going to be from Kate's point of view. Remember chapter eleven was from Jack's point of view… it's going to be the same kind of chapter. As usual leave many reviews, you I know I luv them and I really hope you'll forgive me for my laziness but more important that you'll enjoy this chappie.

With all my love, Héla.

**_Chapter thirteen: At last._** (Etta James)

The sun was warming our bare arms and a soft breeze was caressing our skins and hairs. He was wearing sunglasses so I couldn't see his eyes but a soft smile was still marking his handsome features, warming my heart more than the sun could and reassuring me about what was ahead of us. One of his hands was on the driving wheel while the other one was hanging loosely outside his window. He seemed so peaceful and I was glad to see him like that, after the weekend he had. He was intently watching the straight and almost empty road ahead of us and from time to time, he would turn to look at me, offering me his genuine smile. I would smile back, trying to control my emotions but failing miserably. He was too good to be true, in all the senses of the term. We were driving for an hour now but it seemed that we left two minutes ago. It was a quiet ride, not much words were spoken but it was a very comforting one. It was as if we didn't need to talk, we were happy and we both knew it. Besides, we didn't talk yet about what happened this week. Well, we did yesterday but I wouldn't qualify a conversation that took place in a hall as a serious one, especially when we knew that Sawyer, Charlie, Claire and Shannon were intently listening. Not to mention that in the heat of the moment, we kinda got ahead of ourselves. How could we not? That make out session was mind blowing. Yeah, he said he wanted to try, but did he still want it? Oh, stop being so obsessed and stupid Kate! Isn't he taking you to a romantic vacation in Santa Barbara? Isn't he smiling sweetly every time his eyes fall on you? I'm such a girl sometimes. Always worrying about stuff not worth the waste of energy.

"Have you ever been to Santa Barbara before?" he asked after a little while, making me chuckle lightly.

"I did, but it was when I was watching the TV show with my mum, when I was young." I answered making him chuckle as well.

"Well, you gonna love it." He said smiling and I felt my heart melt. He had to stop doing that.

"I'm sure I will." I said smiling.

"My parents have a beautiful house with a private beach. We're almost there; I just gotta remember how to reach it from here." He said as we passed near a beautiful and peacefully quiet beach. I looked at him with a questioning look.

"Jack Shepherd, are you telling me that you don't know the way to that house?" I asked amused.

"Of course I know the way." He said defensively and I had to fight the urge to laugh at the insecurity his eyes were showing.

"When was the last time you came here?" I asked. He frowned and focussed, trying to remember the last time he came. He mumbled something, turning his head so I couldn't see the blush that crept on his cheeks but it was too late.

"Sorry, what was that?" I asked trying to contain my laughter. He turned to look at me, annoyed. He glared at me but a small smile made his way to his face nonetheless.

"Ten." He mumbled more clearly.

"Ten years?" I asked with incredulity.

"Yes, ten damn years!" He said and I could not contain my seriousness anymore, he was just too cute when he was irritated.

"So what now?" I asked still laughing. "We keep driving around until we run out of gas?" he glared at me again but eventually joined me, laughing heartedly.

"Don't worry Kate, I'll get you there, even it's the last thing I do." He said more seriously and I smiled at the gentleness of his voice.

"I know you will." I said and he nodded.

A moment later, he parked the car in front of big blue house with white shutters. The house was perched on stilts, which accentuated the feeling of greatness of the beautiful property. Jack quickly got out and went to the trunk to take our bags. I remained in the car, still amazed by the striking house. Jack parents must be working really hard. I wondered what it was like to grow up without worrying about bills to pay and what you're going to do for the next meal.

I finally decided to get out as well. I felt a like a little girl standing next to this house and an uncomfortable feeling grew inside of my chest. Trying to ignore and push down any feelings I could have, I helped him carry the bags inside. We climbed wooden stairs that led us to a wooden veranda with a white balustrade. On the opposite side of the entrance door, where we were standing, I saw a white wooden bench that seemed comfortable and I found myself dreaming about watching the sunset on that bench, his protective arms surrounding me. I averted my eyes, feeling uncomfortable again. Why? I didn't know why but I knew it was not good.

We entered the dark house and he walked toward the windows to open the shutters. I could hear the sound of the waves crashing down the waves and it relaxed me a little. When he pulled open the first shutter, the sun emerged in the living room and it gave a peaceful and warm feeling to the room. Margo had told me that she has decorated their home and I recognised her sophisticated touch in this house as well. She had chosen light colours for the living room, almost everything was pastel, warm colour in the kitchen (the microwave was orange) and I smiled when I saw pictures of little Jackie hanging or standing all over the house. Jack was really lucky, there was so many people loving him and counting on him. Even if I knew that most of the time, it annoyed him to be considered as the leader of the group, that's who he was and deep down I envied him. I wish I could have people loving me like Jack's family and friends loved him. I guess that's what you receive when you're a good person, and Jack was clearly a good man.

He kept walking around the house, which seemed bigger in the inside than from the outside, opening windows and doors. I neared a French window, which was in the living room and watched the ocean. The sun was still up high and the waves were safely crashing down the shore, the quietness of the place at the opposite of what I was truly feeling. Jack kept on walking around the house unaware of the battle that had begun between my mind and my heart. I didn't understand why I was suddenly felt so down. Fears that I tried to forget for so long were coming back to me and all I could think about was getting out of that beautiful and painfully expensive house as fast and as soon as I could. I hated it so much! Why now? Why couldn't I have a normal life like anybody else? Why does it always have to be like this? I thought I changed, I thought that those unworthy and self-destructive feelings were gone for good. My struggling feelings brought tears to my eyes. I tried to fight them but it seemed impossible. This was too perfect, I was happy and I knew it wouldn't last. Suddenly joyful memories of the last months came rushing back to my mind and all the emotions mixed together were almost too much to handle. My life had become easy, simple; I was happy and that's what scared me out of my mind, that's why I wanted to run as far away as possible.

I couldn't believe I got so attached to these people. I couldn't believe I let them into my life. I couldn't believe that I was planning on staying with them as long as they wanted me to. What was wrong with me? How could I forget everything that happened before I came to L.A?

But then again, there was this little voice in the back of my head that kept telling me that I deserved to be happy. That voice wasn't there for a long time, I think I heard it for the first time after that magical night I had with Jack a few days ago and that's why it sounded so much like him. After all I've been through, I deserved some peace of happiness. I looked over at the ocean and I found it fascinating, appealing. I looked over my shoulder but Jack was still wandering around the house. I looked through the French window again and silently pushed it open. I stepped out of the living room and found myself on the white and wide veranda. I took off my sandal before getting down the stairs. Apparently, there were two of them because contrary to the first one we climbed a few minutes ago that lead to the front door, this one led me directly to their private beach. As my toes sank in the warm sand and a soft breeze ran through my hair, I felt a wave of calmness wash over me, and slowly appeasing my insecurities. I quietly made my way toward the shore and the heavenly quietness of this place combined with my effort to calm down, eventually succeeded to stop the silent tears from pouring down my cheeks.

"Are you alright?" Jack asked from behind me and making me jump out of my skin. I haven't heard him approach, probably too caught up in my own world. I quickly wiped my eyes and cheeks and turn to face him with a reproachful look. It soon faded when I saw the apologetic one he was giving me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He said when my features softened.

"It's ok." I reassured, waving his excuse off and turning my eyes back at the water. He stood still behind me for a long moment and I could feel his eyes on me. I knew him well enough to know that he wanted to ask his previous question again but he couldn't bring himself to do it. I supposed he knew me well enough to know that I would talk when I would be ready to. Life is amazing, not to mention utterly scary. The bond that has been created between me and the man standing behind me was one of the strongest I've ever known, yet we only met three months ago.

I finally brought my eyes back to his handsome face and all the fears and the anger I was feeling toward myself vanished when I saw the deep concern in his beautiful eyes. I turned further more, so I was facing him completely and smiled sadly. I made my way toward him and fell on his open arms. He gently rocked me from side to side, whispering comforting word to my ears. I let his masculine and spicy sent invade my nostrils and calm me down more than anything. I shifted slightly and buried my face in his smooth neck and I sighed.

"I'm ok now." I finally replied and he kissed the side of my head affectionately.

"Then, I'm ok too." he whispered to my ear and I felt my heart melt like a peace of chocolate in the sun at the genuineness of his tone.

"We need to talk though." I finally gathered the courage to say. He slowly pulled away from me and he gazed deeply into my eyes, making me shudder slightly. He had the capacity to make me forget everything just by looking at me.

"Ok, you need to stop doing that." I said feeling my cheeks burning with embarrassment while he smirked, apparently content with himself. His expression sobered however and worry shown in his hazel eyes again. "And you need to stop worrying." I added taking his hand in mine and squeezing it reassuringly. I felt a lot more relax than I was five minutes ago and something was telling that his presence caused it.

"I'm trying to but hearing your girlfriend say the four cursed words on the first hour of your arrival of what's supposed to be a romantic vacancy is a little worrying, I have to admit." He said with still a faint trace of nervousness in both his eyes and voice.

"Girlfriend?" I inquired, smiling warmly at him despite my heavy mood. He smiled back, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"Yes, girlfriend." He said with assurance.

"But, isn't it a little too early?" I asked, my insecurities surfacing again at the speed of light.

"You think?" he asked as we sat down on the sand.

"Well, you only stopped dating Sarah who was your girlfriend for more than five years _and your fiancé _a few days ago." I said emphasising the fiancé part.

"Sarah and I were over for more than a few days, we stopped loving each other, I mean romantically at least, a long time ago. We were just afraid to face the truth."

"I need to be sure." I said looking intently at him.

"Sure of what?" he asked.

"That I'm not just the rebound girl. I would hate it." I said.

"Trust me, you're not any other girl and certainly not the rebound girl." He said smiling softly.

"See, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I have a lot of issues and trust is one of them, perhaps the biggest one." I looked at him, trying to read in his rich brown eyes his emotions but they were only encouraging me to continue. I took a deep breath and began to speak again. "I want you to know were you got yourself into. It's not gonna be easy, it's gonna be hard…I mean really hard. As you already know, I had a difficult life and often more than never, my past keeps me from having a decent future. I know it's too soon to talk about the future but I really freaked out when we arrived. I guess the reality of our situation only sank in when I saw that beautiful house. All of my self-destructive feelings and insecurities overwhelmed me and I felt the urge to leave as soon as I stepped a foot in the house." I didn't realise that tears had fallen down my cheeks again. He cupped the side of my face with one of his caring hands and dried my tears.

"What self-destructive feeling?" he asked, concern choking his voice.

"Oh, you know, the usual 'he's too good for you, you don't deserve to be happy, go away' stuff." I said avoiding his eyes for the first time but he brought my face back toward his with one of fingers. He didn't say anything, instead he brought his lips to mine and reassured me with his gentle touch. I kissed him back and melted in his embrace needing comfort more than ever before. He pulled away and gazed in my eyes again with such a concern that my heart went out for him.

"I know it's not easy to get rid of you inner demons, believe me but I want you to trust me when I say that you're more than worthy." He said with a determined tone.

"I told you, I have an issue with trusting people." I insisted.

"We gonna have to work on that too but I'll make my best to gain your trust." He said taking my hand and kissing my knuckles. "I had my share of bad luck and I know what suffering is but I also know that life is like that and I know that you are strong enough to overcome whatever obstacle that comes your way."

"You think so?"

"I know so." He said and leaned over to put a light and sweet kiss on my lips. "So, we're ok?" he asked a slight hint of hope in his voice.

"We're more than ok." I said reassuringly and this time I was the one to kiss him. "Thanks." I added when we pulled away.

"There's really no need to thank me, I just want you to come and talk to me whenever you feel the need to."

"That goes both ways." I said with a smile and he nodded.

"Now how about we unpack those immense bags of yours and maybe we could finally eat something." He said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes and I slammed his upper arm playfully.

"They're not that big." I said defensively.

"Yeah, right! When I first saw them, I thought you were hiding Claire and Shannon in them." He said making me laugh. He got up and turned to look at the ocean and for a brief second I saw a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.

"You missed it?" I asked, knowingly.

"A lot." He replied. "We used to come here every summer with Sawyer. Ah, the joy of youth." He said with a smile.

"Well I have a pretty bad memory of the last time I neared the ocean." I said throwing him a sideway glance and he laughed warmly.

"Oh come on now, admit it. You loved it." he said smirking.

"Dream on, buddy! If you weren't that tall I would have had my revenge right away." He laughed even more and I joined him feeling the last traces of chagrin leave me, replaced by a warm feeling in the top of my stomach caused by the sweetness of his laughter. However, I quickly regained my composure when I saw a glint of childish craziness cross his eyes.

"Uh-oh, I know that look." I said backing away as he tried to close the little gap between our bodies. He grinned widely and I turned around to run but it was too late. He had already grabbed me by the waist and looped me over one of his shoulders. He ran toward the ocean and soon enough we were under the water. Juts like the previous time we found ourselves in the arms of the other. I tried to look reproachful, I swear I did, but it was so hard considering how cute and, not to mention, sexy he looked all wet and laughing.

"You're so going to pay for this." I said looping my arms around his neck while he encircled me in his strong arms not sounding mad at all.

"Really?" he asked amused.

"Really." I said as I leaned closer and landed a soft kiss on his thin lips.

"If it's what they call punishment nowadays, then I'm all for it." he said huskily before kissing me with more passion than ever.

Two hours later, we were seating on the white wooden bench that I've noticed earlier on the veranda. We had showered, unpacked my so-called huge bags (I did not miss the occasion to point that his were just as big, if not bigger as mine), we had eaten a homemade meal that we both prepared and we were now enjoying the warm afternoon. His arms were closely encircling me and my head was lying on his chest. I sighed contently, watching the waves crashing down the shore while he put a soft kiss on the side of my head. Even if I knew that the panic attack I had earlier in the day wouldn't be the last, I also knew that I wasn't afraid of them anymore.

Jack had his friends and family, I had him.

_At last my love has come along  
My lonely days are over  
And life is like a song  
At last the skies above are blue  
And my heart was wrapped up in clover  
The night I looked at you  
I found a dream that I can speak to  
A dream that I could call my own  
I found a thrill to press my cheek to  
A thrill that I have never known  
You smiled, and then the spell was cast  
And here we are in heaven  
And you are mine at last_

A/N: so what do you think? Was it horrible? I don't think so but I'm not really sure either.

I'm really sorry for the late update, I hope that this chapter compensate for the free update month.

Coming next: The rest of our favourite lovebirds vacancy and don't worry, I didn't forget Boone, he'll be back soon enough. I just figured that Jate needed, deserved a chapter for themselves (especially with what's happened in the actual show…just so you know, I didn't lose faith and I'm not angry with Kate, well I was a little at first but who can blame her, certainly not me.).

So 'till next time, I send you all a bunch of kisses and please leave reviews.


	14. Dear life

Disclaimer: I don't own Lost because if I did, third season would have been really really really different.

A/N: I know how shocking!!! A second update in less than a week, how great am I, seriously. This one's for Ida, I hope you'll be ok… so here it goes; chapter 14 of _Finding Forever _(Geez! I can't believe we're already here!). The song is _Dear life_ from Anthony Hamilton from the Step Up soundtrack (a great movie with yet another hot guy hehehe) it really is a lovely song, you should check it out. Enough with me, let's get this show on the road and, as usual enjoy, and review…

**_Chapter fourteen: Dear life._**

_A few hours later..._

"Kate, please… we're gonna be late." Jack complained for what seemed like the tenth time this evening. Still in the prospect of making this week the best she ever had, he decided to take Kate in a fancy and nice restaurant for their first official date. His nervousness was driving him crazy and the fact that she had spent the last hour in the bathroom was not helping his mood.

"I'll be out in a sec." he heard her reply sweetly.

"Yeah, well you've been repeating the same thing for the last half hour, so excuse me if I don't quite believe you." He said sardonically. "Women…" he mumbled to himself turning around to look at the clock again.

"I heard that." She said and he turn around to see her standing in the frame of the door a mild reproachful look crossing her beautiful green eyes but smiling nonetheless. He let his eyes travel up, down and up her body and felt as if his legs might slump from underneath him. The world stopped turning for the second time this week. She was wearing a figure-hugging strapless knee length black dress that fitted her feminine curve perfectly. She had held her hair in a classy chignon. After a few minutes of contemplation and a certain amount of censured images crossing his mind, he eventually realised that he was starring but he could not bring himself to look away. It seemed that every time she wore a dress his brain would go on pause and he would lose his capacity of doing the simplest things like speaking or even moving. She smiled to herself as she saw him struggling to keep his calm.

"You look beautiful." He finally said softly, looking intently in her eyes.

"Thank you. You're not half bad yourself." She said smiling cheekily. In reality, he was utterly gorgeous but she could not say that now, could she? He was wearing a deep black shirt with a white linen pant and a black leather belt. He had left the three first buttons open freeing his neck and collarbone from the pressure and teasing her. The contrast between the colour of his subtly tanned skin and the darkness of shirt was driving her literally crazy and she seemed to have just as much trouble keeping her calm as he did.

"Shall we?" he asked smiling genuinely and holding his arm to her. She smiled back and looped her arm around his.

"Let's go." She said.

_As the sun shined, down on me,  
I know with you in love is where I wonna be,  
Oooh sometimes, I go on through life,  
thinking that love is something that's not meant for me,_

An hour later, they were having a sumptuous dinner on the terrace of the restaurant, giving them a beautiful sight of the ocean.

"This place is amazing." She said taking a sip of her cocktail her eyes travelling around her, shining with a gentle excitement, like a child in a toy store. "It must have been a real girl catcher." she said giggling and he smiled mysteriously. "What?" she asked sensing he was hiding something.

"What what?" he asked trying to look innocent.

"What's with the smile?" she asked narrowing her eyes at him. He looked at her steadily and realisation hit her.

"I'm the first woman you bring here?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, I told you that I haven't been here for ten years." He said shrugging.

"Still…" she said smiling shyly. "I'm flattered." He smiled sweetly at her and she averted her eyes, looking at her food.

"So how long has it been?" he asked trying to make conversation. She looked up alarmed.

"What?" she asked her eyes widening, misunderstanding his question.

"How long has it been since you last dated someone?" he asked more precisely chuckling at the outraged look she was giving him five seconds ago. Her features sobered a little. "What did you think I was asking?" he asked trying to look innocent.

"That was so mean mister!" she said narrowing her eyes reproachfully and he laughed.

"What?" he asked again, trying to hide an amused smile but failing completely.

"Oh you know what." She replied and he laughed heartedly. "You didn't answer the question though." He said after his laughter had subsided.

"Because you don't deserve it." she replied lightly and he smiled cheekily at her. They looked at each other for a while and she finally surrendered under his deep gaze.

"It's been a while." She said vaguely and he chuckled.

"Oh I loved it when your specific." He said his tone full of sarcasm and she laughed. "You know," he said more seriously, "if you want this to work, you've gotta give me something to work with." He said simply. His tone was not reproachful or bitter, it was soft and caring. She nodded.

"I know." She paused and he wondered if she was really searching through her memories or if she was just trying to give a dramatic effect to the whole thing. Even though he would not let it show, he was a little anxious about her answer, after all he was a man…

"Well the last time I've been out with a guy was two months ago." she finally said just as he sipped in his glass of water. He chocked.

"What?" he asked after coughing loudly and catching his breath.

"Two months." She repeated. "Why? Is there something wrong?" she asked looking a little confused. He took a deep breath and kept the icy, bitter and jealous retort he wanted to say from coming out of his mouth.

"No, I guess." He said still unsure. "It's just that I didn't know about it."

"Yeah, well except from Claire and Shannon nobody did." She explained.

"You're telling me that these two are actually capable of keeping a secret?" he asked lightly making her laugh. "Uh-uh, impossible. I can't believe you." And she laughed even more.

"Well, since it wasn't in anybody's interest, I understand why they kept their mouths shut." She said.

"How do you mean?" he asked frowning, intrigued.

"Well, I went out with this guy… what's his name again? Oh yeah, Tyler and I only went out once. They must have thought that it could have ruined our chances of being together if they said anything." She said and he nodded in understanding.

"Well I don't think so but thank them for sparing my feelings."

"Well, at the time it wouldn't have mattered, would it? I mean you were with Sara and really in love so my love life wasn't something you were worried about." She said before taking a bite of her vegetarian lasagne. She expected him to respond but he remained silent and more than that, he avoided her eyes, apparently embarrassed.

"Jack?" she chided softly.

"I don't think it would have been a nice thing to hear, as far as I was concerned." He reluctantly said.

"I see." She said smiling a little, nodding in understanding. Her heart skipped a little beat at the idea. "I guess I wasn't the only one daydreaming then?" she asked with a smirk and he chuckled.

"How wrong is it, seriously? I mean I was engaged to someone who I supposedly loved and the simple idea of you going out with someone else bothers me more than Sara actually cheating on me." He said chuckling. However, she did not smile, her expression froze and she looked at him, eyes wide open. "Ok, breathe." He teased. "This isn't a declaration, so stop panicking."

"Easier said than done." She said sighing.

"Right maybe we should talk about it. I mean I'm ready for that talk, if you are." He said taking her hand and caressing her palm with his thumb and she instantly relaxed at the feeling on his warm hand.

"I am but not now not here, let's just keep that for later." She suggested and he nodded. They finished dinner, enjoying each other's company. Jack paid for the expensive meal and they soon left the restaurant. He had suggested a walk along the beach and she agreed. They were walking side by side, small smiles on both of their faces. She had taken off her high heels and he joined her. They walked barefoot, letting the slightly cool sand cover their toes.

"Thank you, Jack. It was very pleasant." She said with a content sigh, taking his hand in hers. He brought it to his mouth and kissed it.

"My pleasure." He said looking down in her eyes. She tiptoed, he bent down and they shared a sensual kiss, under the moon light. They drew apart and resumed walking, rather silently, yet content. After a little while, she stopped and urged him to seat down in the sand next to her. He obliged and as soon as he was comfortably seating, she put her arm through his and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm perfect." She replied with another content sigh.

"Not that I'm complaining, of course." He said with a smirk letting go of his transient state of concern.

"Ok let's get it over with." She said determinately, looking up at him. "The talk, I mean." She added when he looked at her confused.

"Oh."

"You go first." She said, making him smile warmly.

"Ok… um" he hesitated. "Well, first of all, I really think we should take things slow." He admitted. She sighed relieved that he was the one who said it. "I mean, let's face it, our lives are kinda chaotic and will certainly be for a little while." He added and she nodded against his shoulder.

"Damaged goods, both of us." She said making him smile again.

"Yeah, I guess we can say that. I want you to know that I will probably need a little more time before I get completely over Sara. I mean even if she hurt me, she was a big part of my life for the last five years."

"I get it. It's hard to get away from your past." She completed for him and he nodded. "Look, if you need a little bit more time I understand, I can wait." She said looking up in his rich hazel eyes. He shifted a little and planted a sweet peck to her lips.

"Don't worry; I think I can manage both." He said with a smile.

"You're sure?" she asked still uncertain.

"I am." He confirmed.

"Good. So we take thing slow but what does it mean?" he looked at her questioningly. "My last real boyfriend was Tom." She explained with a sad tone and he put his arm around her shoulders, scooping her closer to him.

"Well it means that we simply go slowly, we do not rush into things and we talk to each other about what might bother us." He explained softly, whispering in her ear. He put a soft kiss to the side of her head.

"Basically, no sex before we're both ready." she teased and he laughed.

"Basically? Yeah." He said chuckling and she joined him.

"Awwww, too bad." She said pouting.

"Well, if you insist…" he said and she laughed.

"More seriously, though, you're right we will take things slow and see how this will turn out."

"OK." He agreed. "There is a little problem though." He said.

"What is it?" she asked frowning.

"Our beloved friends. They're going to be real pains in the ass."

"Tell me about it. I can hear from here! 'I told you so!'" she said imitating Shannon. He laughed. "'Is jack a good kisser?'" she carried on.

"Well, Shannon, from all people should know that." He informed her and her head snapped up. "It's all Sawyer's doing," he quickly explained but she frowned even more at his explanation "we were playing truth or dare and just to piss Sayid off he dared Shannon to kiss me… really kiss me." He insisted.

"I can't believe she never told me about it." She mumbled angrily. She silenced her with another passionate kiss that left her breathless.

"So, am I a good kisser?" he asked with a warm smile.

"Well, I'm afraid, I'm gonna need another taste before giving a final judgement." She said and he obliged.

"So we're good?" he asked.

"We're good, just as long as I'm not some rebound girl, I'll be alright." She said.

"I promise you, Kate that I really want to be with you and it's not some kind of revenge against Sarah or a way to pass time. Even though I tried to fight them, these feelings were there for a long time." He said cupping her face in his hands before placing a reassuring and soft kiss on her lips.

"I believe you." She said when they parted.

They stayed in each other arms for a long time, enjoying the warm breeze before returning to the house around midnight. They both quickly changed into their pyjamas and settled in the living room to watch a late diffusion of _Casablanca_. He watched her fight sleep for half an hour before giving up and falling asleep, her head in his lap. He turned the TV off and making sure he did not wake her up, he scooted her effortlessly in his arms. He took her to her bedroom. Earlier that afternoon, they had agreed that it would be best if they did not share a room this soon in their relationship. He delicately put her on the bed and put the bedclothes over her small figure. He gently kissed her forehead and prepared to leave the room when he heard her stir.

"Hey." He said softly turning around to look at her, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"Hey, where are you going?" she asked sleepily and smiling.

"Well, I was thinking about going to bed." He said smiling a little. She looked at him intently and a smile spread on her beautiful face. She held up her hand to him and he came back closer to take it.

"Stay with me." She asked. He looked unsure for a moment but his hesitation was soon gone when he looked in her sparkling green eyes.

"Well, I can't refuse such an offer." He said softly and climbed in bed, facing her. He kept his hand in hers and before either of them realised it, they were asleep.

_Sometimes in life,  
You run across a love unknown,  
Without a reason, it feels like you, belong.  
Hold on Dear Life,  
Don't go off running from what's new,  
I became somebody, through loving you._

The next two days passed by rather quickly. As promised, Jack made everything that he could to make these days unforgettable. He showed her around, cooked for her, talked to her, made her laugh, kissed with more passion than anybody showed her in her entire life. It was better than a dream because it was real. On the third day, they decided to call Claire just to reassure their friends.

"I'm glad Boone was with them. It's been a while." She said after she hung up.

"Yeah, he was rather busy lately. I guess we'll see him more once Shannon's wedding will be behind us." He said.

"God, I can't believe it's less than a month before that day." She said a dreamy expression in her eyes.

"Tell me about it. I have to look for a new roommate." he said. "Not that I actually need help to pay the rent, it's just that it's gonna be so empty without him there." He said rather sadly. She took his hand in his and kissed his cheek. There was nothing to say, letting go of a friend was always difficult.

"We'll still see each other, a lot. Shannon won't be able to stay away from Claire for too long." He said making her giggle.

"Yeah and I'm sure they'll have another reason to drop by." She added with a smile and he kissed her. "Nobody can get enough of Miss Austen." She said with a self-satisfied smirk and he laughed.

"I'm not gonna argue with that." He said before kissing her upturn lips. They spend the rest of the day lying next to each other in the sand, enjoying the warm sunny day.

Later that afternoon, Kate was cooking dinner and Jack was taking pictures of the view when his cell phone went off…

_  
Warm was the sun, that covered my body so.  
Reminded me of you, as I'd first known.  
Those were tha days, tha days, that changed my life, and made me new,  
I became somebody, through loving you._

A/N: here it is!!! Chapter 14! Yay!!!! I had a lot of fun writing it. Actually, it was the easiest chapter I've wrote so far. I hope you enjoyed the Jate, they're sweet, aren't they. I guess you know what next chapter will be about, uh. Well, we need a little drama, don't you think?

Please, tell me what you thought! Until then I send you all my love, because I do love you.

Héla.


	15. I turn to you

Disclaimer: If you haven't figured it out after 15 chapters, than I suggest you go request some professional help lol. That's right, I don't own it or them J

A/N: What can I say to make you forgive me? I think there's nothing to say except that I'm really sorry and I hope you'll still read this despite your hatred for me and my lack of updates. Enjoy. Title inspired by Christina's Aguilera's song (again) _I turn to you._

_**Chapter fifteen: I turn to you.**_

Half an hour later, Kate and Jack were making their ways through the white hospital corridors. She could not even remember how they got there. All she could think about was Sawyer's awfully quiet voice when she had picked up Jack's phone in the beach house. He had announced her, still with that so uncharacteristically soft and quiet voice that the whole group of friends were heading to the hospital because Boone was run over by a car, without mentioning if he was going to be ok or not. She had given the phone to Jack at that moment and watched helplessly as his eyes lost their sparkle while the terrible news sank in. she had tried to say something, she had tried to comfort him but he had cut her off.

« Later. I…uh we need to be there as quickly as possible. » he had said and her heart went out for him as she heard his voice choke and stumble upon his words. She had silently nodded and they had went to the car. The drive had been silent, both lost in their own thoughts and prayer. She knew Jack was not a very religious person but she assumed that in a time like this, you always look out for something bigger than you, something to hold on to.

And here they were, now, looking for their friends, passing in fronts of dozens of rooms full of ill people and their families. They both felt numb from the worry and the pain but they kept running needing to reach the group as soon as humanely possible. Finally after minutes that seemed to be hours, they found Sawyer, Sayid and Shannon talking to a nurse outside of the waiting room of the 3rd floor. Well, talking would be the wrong word since they could hear Sawyer's angry voice from the end of the hall. Sayid was desperately trying to calm him down but his attempt were vain. Jack hurried over to Juliet, the nurse he had worked with several times and knew was a very kind and genuine woman. She turned to look at him and smiled sadly. He nodded, unable to return the gesture and threw a questioning look at Sayid and Sawyer. Kate went over to Shannon who was now seating in a chair her head in her hands. The brunette sat down next to her and put an arm around her friend's shoulder. Almost instinctively, the blonde buried her head in Kate's neck and cried silently. Kate had never seen Shannon in such a state. She always was full of joy, amusement, life and mirth, even when she was bashing and gossiping. Seeing her like that brought back old and painful memories to Kate. _'No!' _she thought. _'Now is not the time. You friends need you.' _the voice insisted. She straightened herself and held Shannon a little closer and tighter, whispering soothing and comforting words in her blonde hair.

She glanced at the three men and the nurse. Jack was thanking her one last time with a smile that was so forced that his already thin lips were not even visible anymore. She nodded and left them alone. He turned to look over at Kate and tried to smile again but the worry and the sorrow she saw in his eyes made her heart jump in her chest. His eyes were always so full of expressions, even when he tried to hide them he could not. That is why she fell so hard for him. He came nearer and sat next to her. He did not say anything, he just shipped his hand in hers. She smiled through her tears and give his beautiful hand a squeeze.

Boone was still in surgery and Juliet was just telling the men that all they could do for now was wait for the doctors for an update. She had told jack about his state, using medical terms that only he could understand. Despite her lack of knowledge in the medical area, the worry in her boyfriend's eyes was all Kate needed to understand that Boone was in a critical state. _Boyfriend_. It was the first time she used that word in her head and it was really odd considering the circumstances.

« We… uh we should go inside and I'll explain to all of you what's happening in there. » Jack finally spoke after several unbearable minutes of silence. The expecting looks he saw on his friends' faces was really killing him. The four of them nodded and slowly joined the rest of the group in the waiting room. The mood in the room reflected their own. Helplessly miserable. They all turned to look at Jack with so much hope in their eyes that Kate felt pride overtaking her for a few seconds, making her forget how anxious and sad she was feeling. She looked up at him smiling but the smile fell of her face when she noticed that he was holding back tears. Just like he did a few moments ago, she took his hand with one of her own while the other one find its way to his arm. She felt him relax slightly. He took a deep breath and started to explain to them Boone's situation. Apparently, the collision had been so forceful that both his legs were broken, as well as several ribs and his left wrist but that was not what worried the doctors the most. Four of his vertebras were smashed and as a result, there was a good chance that he would not be able to walk again . That news definitely erased the last bits of happiness left in each of their hearts and was not saying much.

Jack's voice was thick as he talked and his eyes were still shinning with unshed tears. Kate never let go of his hand and arm, holding on it as if it was the only good thing she ever did in her life. He finished his fateful speech by announcing that Boone would probably not wake up before several days. The friends looked at each other, desperately seeking in someone else's eyes he strength and hope that they were lacking themselves.

« He's going to be alright. » Charlie broke the silence with confidence. « Boone's tough, he's gonna get through this. » He finished with a nod. Claire got up from her seat, her expression unreadable and after a few seconds where Charlie looked at her with a slight fears in his eyes, she threw herself at him. He quickly wrapped his arms around her.

« Thank you. » she whispered, her voice weak and shaky. He smiled and held her tightly.

« You're quite welcome. » he whispered back and she snuggled even closer to him. At that moment, Kate felt Jack's hand shake in hers.

« Ill' be right back. » he said quietly to no one in particular . He slowly let go of her hand and left the room. Kate sighed dejectedly. She had never felt so helpless and useless at the same time in her entire life. Jack was obviously having a really hard time and despite her efforts, there was nothing she could do to help him. She sat in the nearest chair next to Sawyer and Lilly and tried as hard as she could to hold the new cascade of tears that were threatening to fall. Sawyer awkwardly stretched his hand and put it on her shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled sadly.

« You should go and talk to him. » he said softly. It was the first time she heard Sawyer's 'real' voice. Sarcasm free and somehow, strangely comforting. It was James' voice and suddenly she understood why Lilly insisted on calling him by his real name. Kate creased her brow in confusion.

« How do you know…? » she began to ask but he interrupted her.

« What? You think I'm so stupid and shallow that I can't see when or why something's wrong? » he asked but his voice was not reproachful, it was just a little teasing.

« You know I didn't mean it like that. » she replied with a small but soft smile.

« I know. Now, go! » he gently urged.

« No. » she said stubbornly. « He obviously needs to be alone. » she said sadly but he shook his head.

« He needs to be away from the expectation and dread he sees in our faces. He needs to clear his head a little bit. We all look up to the Doc and it's hard for him, harder than any of us could comprehend. » he explained and she nodded finally understanding Jack's distress. She knew what Sawyer meant. She knew Jack well enough to know that the role of leader his friends had assigned him was a huge weight on his shoulders. She could not quite understand why he or the rest of them adopted this attitude but she knew it all too well. She immediately felt ashamed for not being able to restrain herself from doing the same. Most of the time she looked at Jack like he was some kind of hero, whereas he just wanted people to see him for who he truly was. An average inter in surgery who was struggling through life like any of them. « He needs you now. » Sawyer assured her one more time, bringing her back from her guilt trip. She nodded and got up. She was almost at the door when she looked back and smiled a real smile to Sawyer. She mouthed a 'thank you' and he simply nodded, watching her leave, feeling somewhat helpful. He turned to look at Lilly and she kissed him.

« You knock my socks off. » she stated with a smile and he smirked.

Ten minutes later, Kate found Jack seating on the park bench where he had found Claire a few months ago, the day she learned she was pregnant. She approached him carefully, almost afraid that he would disappear. He did not look up at her and when she sat next to him she felt him tense beside her. Not knowing what do she said the first thing that came to her mind.

« That nurse seems to like you very much. » she said and smirked when she heard him chuckle ever so slightly.

« I didn't know you were the jealous type. » he said finally looking at her and despite the quite banter, she recognized the pain in his eyes.

« Oh, she has no idea who she's messing with. » she said.

« Don't worry Katie, Juliet and I are just co workers. »

« I'm not worried, I'm just letting you know. » she said simply and he nodded.

« Duly noted. » he said and she smiled. They sat their in silence and after a while she got closer and took his hand, lacing his fingers with hers. He sighed and relaxed even more.

« He's gonna be fine. » she said using the same tone Charlie had used a few minutes ago. « And you, don't need to beat yourself up like that. You're here now and I'll try to remember that even though you're great, there's more to you than this false image of hero we all have of you. » she said squeezing his hand. He looked at her with so much intensity that her heart started pounding faster. He suddenly leaned over and pecked her lips with his. When he leaned back she took him in her arms and he buried his head in her hair.

« I'm sorry our vacancy were interrupted. » he whispered.

« I'm not. Don't worry, that big house beach of yours is not going anywhere… and neither am I. » she whispered softly and he hugged her more tightly.

A/N: I know it's a short chapter but it's an intense one. I like it this way and I really hope you liked it. This is usually the place where I ask you to leave reviews but after such a delay in my updates, I wonder if I deserve them. So it's up to you.


	16. Like a star

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that you might have recognised.

A/N: yeah, I know. I made you wait again but you know the saying: _Good things__come to those who wait_. You've waited long enough so here's the new chapter (very long chapter) of "Finding forever". The song is _Like a star_ by Corinne Bailey Rae which is a beautiful song. I hope you'll like this chapter, please let me know.

Oh and before I forget, this one's all for **Kate**. Honey, you're adorable and I love you for all your support.

_**Chapter sixteen: Like a star.**_

_Just like a star across my sky,  
Just like an angel off the page,  
You have appeared to my life,  
Feel like I'll never be the same,  
Just like a song in my heart,  
Just like oil on my hands,  
Honour to love you_

"Damn it Kate! She's just a co-worker, not even a friend. I never spent time with her outside the hospital walls!" Jack said irritation now more than obvious in his voice. This was definitely not the way he thought the evening would turn out.

"But you do spend time with her _inside _the hospital." She snapped pointing an accusing finger toward her boyfriend. His eyes widened comically and he laughed. '_She doesn't understand._' He thought his heart racing. She narrowed her eyes at him and huffed in frustration. "You think this is funny?" her tone was disbelieving.

"No but I do believe you're being irrational." He said sobering up before clenching his jaw.

"Irrational?"

"Or ridiculous. Take your pick, both work for me." He added irritation now replaced by anger. Her mouth fell open and she thought she never felt such an urge to slap someone. So intense in fact that it hurt.

"So now I'm being ridiculous?" She asked crossing her arms over her chest as if to stop herself from doing something stupid that she might regret afterward.

"I believe you are. You're standing there all put out because you saw me and Juliet hug. Don't you think it's a little ridiculous?" he bit out mirroring her posture but seemingly more calm than she was. She hated it; he was hiding his emotions whereas she was not able to control the waves of feelings that were washing over her body. It was even more irritating, knowing that usually the role were reversed; she was the one who always had control over her emotions.

"You don't hug co-workers." She said through clenched teeth trying to seem as unaffected as he was but doing a poor job at it.

"It was nothing, for God's sake! She had just finished telling me that her _boyfriend_ proposed last week." He explained emphasising the important fact. Somehow, that did not sooth Kate and her facial expression did not softened, her eyebrows were still knitted together and she was still glaring at him.

"I'll see you when I'll see you." She said quietly, her voice still dripping with anger. Without another word she exited his apartment. He stood in the middle of the foyer looking completely lost. He passed a hand trough his short hair, sighing dejectedly. He dragged himself in the living room and let his tired body fell on the couch.

_  
Still I wonder why it is,  
I don't argue like this,  
With anyone but you,  
We do it all the time,  
Blowing out my mind_,

It was their very first fight and it could not have occurred in a worst time. It was their first month anniversary and he had a beautiful evening planned out. He had made dinner, prepared a lovely table for two with candles, flowers, champagne and all that cheesy stuff women were so fund of. He had even planned to take her to an impressionist exposition in an art gallery downtown because he knew she loved impressionism. He had dressed up nicely and was just waiting for her to arrive. What he was not prepared for was Kate getting home angry, sad and waiting for the right moment to pick up a fight because she had seen him hug Juliet at lunch. Apparently she had gone to the hospital to surprise him and had misinterpreted the gesture.

Until recently, things had been great for the two of them these last few weeks. After Boone's accident, they had gotten closer and closer, spending every free hours of their busy schedule together. However, he had noticed that lately she was taking her distance and was acting like the Kate he met six months ago. She would not open to him and brush him off every time he tried to know what was wrong with a false excuse about work or Boone's condition.

Thankfully, Boone had woken up a couple of days after the accident and recovered miraculously quickly. He still could not walk but as everyday went by he was making more and more progress. Sayid and Shannon decided to postpone the wedding for a few weeks and wait until things really were alright. Boone had been discharged a week ago and his friends and family were helping him get adjusted to this new situation. Things could be easier but they could be a lot worse too. At least he and John had survived an accident that could have killed them both. It had shaken all of them pretty hard and it had been even harder to see Boone struggle with his new condition but it has been almost a month now and Jack really thought he could afford to have a nice evening with his girlfriend. Obviously, he had been wrong.

In the meantime, in the girls' apartment…

"God, he's such a jerk!" Lilly said still fuming.

"Aren't they all?" Shannon pointed handing her a bottle of water and coming to seat between Sun and Claire.

"Today of all days!" Marissa hissed.

"I think it's a conspiracy." Libby said nodding along. At that moment, the door opened before being slammed making the walls shake from the impact and the rest of the girls heard Kate get in, muttering under her breath. Her head was cast down but it was not hard to see that she was upset. She all but threw her purse on the counter not caring that it landed on the floor, free feet away from her.

"I'll show him ridiculous." She fumed. She looked up and started realising that she was not alone.

"Kate, are you alright?" Sun asked.

"Peachy." She answered sarcastically, opening the fridge to retrieve a soda. She sat between Lilly and Ana Lucia before looking around the table. All her female friends were seating around the table looking just as angry as she was. "Did I miss something?" she asked frowning.

"Some things." Lilly corrected.

"We could ask the same thing to you." Claire pointed out.

"Yeah, you look like Rachel did when she learned that Ross cheated on her." Marissa added with a smirk.

"Oh my god! What did Jack do?" Libby asked putting a hand over her mouth.

"Nothing…everything…ugh I don't know!" she rambled miserably. "He's a jerk!" she blurted out.

"It's seems to be the theme of the night." Sun said with a roll of her eyes.

"Why?" Kate asked confused. "What happened to you guys?"

"I had a fight with Sawyer." Lilly said.

"Wow! I think it's the first time I hear call him by his nickname." Kate said her eyes widening a little.

"Well, that's how mad I am!" Lilly said clenching her jaw making the rest of them smile.

"What did he do?" Kate asked.

"We had a date tonight and he didn't show up. He didn't even call to cancel, he just didn't come!" Lilly explained, still very angry. "Jerk!" she mumbled.

"I think I can top her story." Marissa said pursing her lips and Kate raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"You know how it's my birthday and I told you guys not to plan anything because Michael said he already had? Yeah well that was just bullshit. I hadn't heard from him in three days!"

"You're kidding." Kate said in disbelief.

"I wish."

"Oh my god! What is wrong with them?" Kate burst indignantly.

"They're men; that's what's wrong with them." Libby commented.

"They're jerks!" Shannon hissed.

"Oh no, what did Sayid do?" Kate asked annoyed.

"Nothing, just another wedding preparation issue." The blonde explained with a roll of her eyes.

"Guess what Charlie did." Claire said rubbing her bump to try to calm herself down.

"Not him too."

"Him too. He punched John Murray."

"Who's John Murray?" Ana Lucia asked.

"Just one of our patients." Libby explained.

"Why did he punch him?"

"I don't know. I was with Charlie at the supermarket, we went our separate ways for a few minutes and when he came back I was talking with John. The next thing I know he's punching the poor guy."

"It's so weird and clearly not something that Charlie would do." Ana Lucia commented with a frown.

"Charlie can be over protective sometimes." Kate said with a smile remembering the day Thomas and Claire broke up.

"Yeah, but he never got physical!" Claire said throwing her hands in the air.

"Hormones." Sun joked and they all laughed.

"Yeah well I had to apologise like a hundred times to John and his wife." Claire said sighing.

"His wife was there?" Kate asked incredulously and Claire nodded wincing. "Well it seems like it's been a very busy day." the brunette commented dryly.

"You have no idea. Jin and I fought this evening because I didn't find the time to get through our mail when I got home. You know because between my job, taking care of him and the house, I should also be responsible of the mail." Sun said shaking her head in frustration.

"No way!"

"Way! Oh but he doesn't know who he's messing with. He's in trouble." She said slamming her small hand on the table.

"That's my girl!" Shannon said smirking and putting her arm around her shoulders.

"So what did Hurley and Steve do?" Kate asked Libby and Ana Lucia, almost laughing.

"Nothing." Libby answered.

"This time." Ana Lucia added with steady look. "But I could tell you a lot of stories about Steve's lack of tact." She said with a nod. Steve was her new boyfriend; they met when he was transferred to her police station three months ago. They immediately clicked and started dating soon after.

"We're just here for support." Libby added with a smile.

"I see." Kate said and silence fell over them, each lost in their own thoughts.

"So what did Jack do?" Shannon asked before taking a sip from her own bottle of water. Kate wrinkled her forehead and dropped her gaze to the table.

"Wait a minute. I thought today was your anniversary." Lilly said confusion evident in her beautiful features.

"How do you know?" Kate asked looking up.

"Hello, have we met? We're the gossip squad, we know all." Claire joked and Kate smiled.

"Right."

"Plus Jack told us about the magic evening he had in mind." Sun added.

"He told you about that?"

"Yup, he wanted it to be surprise and all." Shannon answered.

"So what went wrong?" Marissa asked.

"He called me ridiculous." Kate mumbled, hurt lacing her small voice. She looked around the table and knew that she had to explain the whole story to them, otherwise they would not let go of the confused expressions that were playing on their faces. She told them about the lunch that never happened and why. She told them about the fight and how mad she was. However, once she was finished they were still looking confusedly at her. "What?" she asked looking around the table and frowned when she saw her friends exchange glances. Silence fell over them as if nobody wanted to be the first one to say what they all had in mind.

"That was the lamest excuse to pick up fight I've ever heard, Kate." Shannon said when nobody spoke.

"I beg you pardon?" Kate asked looking sharply at her.

"He had it all prepared. He had planned a great night for you both and instead of taking advantage of that to finally get laid, which by the way you should have done a long time ago; you fought him over something completely stupid." Shannon finished out of breath.

"Hey!" Kate protested. "You don't get to judge me, you don't know what you're talking about!" she snapped. She looked around, searching for support in the other women but she found none. They were looking sympathetically at her but she sensed that they agreed with Shannon nonetheless.

"Don't I?" Shannon said raising her eyebrows. "Tell us Kate why did you really fight with him?" she asked looking at her pointedly.

"I just did."

"Yeah but it was a bunch of crap." Shannon said with a wave of her hand knowing how to push her friend's buttons.

"Shannon!" Claire said throwing her a warning glance.

"Kate, honey, do you really believe Jack would cheat on you?" Sun asked softly.

"Huh, it's funny you mention it because if I recall correctly you were the ones who told me that he had a tendency to cheat on his girlfriends." she snapped.

"Hey, don't do that. Don't put words in our mouths." Shannon said. "It happened once and it was under very different circumstances. Jack wouldn't do that to you." Her voice dropped an octave and she was suddenly gentler when she said the last part.

"I've known Jack for so long now; he's like a brother to me. I know he wouldn't do that." Sun said reassuringly.

"How can you be so sure?" Kate asked her voice barely a whisper, tears gathering in her eyes.

"Because he loves you, silly!" Lilly said putting a hand over hers.

"What?" Kate asked wrinkling her nose, her eyes wide open.

"It's not something we should be discussing." Claire said throwing a concern look at her friend.

"Kate, honey what's wrong?" Libby asked softly.

"What do you mean?"

"She means that for the last month we've seen you and our handsome friend getting closer and closer by the second but we've also seen how you've been distancing yourself lately." Marissa said talking slowly and softly trying not to upset her more than she already was.

"I haven't been distancing myself." Kate defended weakly.

"Uh, yeah you were. Jack noticed it too, that's why he wanted to make tonight a special event." Shannon said.

"He wanted to make you happy at least tonight." Claire added.

"He did?" Kate asked her voice shaking with unshed tears. Her friends all nodded and she closed her eyes letting the tears fall. Lilly wrapped an arm around her shoulder and Kate leaned into her, crying silently. The rest of the women looked at each other guiltily. Lilly kept on rubbing her arms while whispering comforting words.

"Oh honey, we're sorry. We didn't mean to push you." Claire said with tears gathering in her eyes.

"We just want you to know that you can talk to us." Shannon said with such sincerity that it made Kate smile through her tears.

"I know I can." She said looking up at them before drying her cheeks. "I feel stupid. Crying over a boy… you know, slightly out of character for me." She said sniffing a little.

"You don't say." Ana Lucia joked making Kate giggle sweetly.

"That's more like it." Lilly said smiling at her and she returned the gesture.

At that moment, someone knocked at the door and Shannon got up to answer it.

"What are you doing here?" they heard her ask in a very well practiced bored tone.

"Is Marissa here?" it was Michael.

"Maybe."

"Shan, please. I've been looking all over for her."

"It's 9 PM, what do you want from her?" she asked and her friends in the kitchen smiled as she tried to evade his question.

"Shannon!" Michael hissed.

"Michael!" Shannon mimicked and the women laughed. Marissa finally decided to take charge of the situation and joined Shannon and her boyfriend at the door.

"Well, isn't it my future ex boyfriend?" Marissa asked crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive manner. Shannon smirked and winked at her before leaving them alone.

"Baby, I'm so sorry. Work has been driving me crazy this week." He tried to apologise.

"And you couldn't even find five minutes to call me and cancel our plans or even wish me happy birthday?" she asked glaring at him, her whole body shaking with incredulity and anger. It did not help to see him smirk. "Jerk!" she snarled.

"I'm sorry." He said smiling.

"So you keep saying but you don't seem to mean it! Why are you smiling for, moron." She almost shrieked.

"You think I wanted to cancel our plans."

"Well, I haven't heard from you in three days, what do you want me to think?" she said throwing her hands in there, not quite believing her ears.

"Why do you think I've been looking for you all over town for the last our and a half?"

"Sorry, I stopped trying to understand the male logic a long time ago." She snapped putting her hands on her hips.

"I made reservations in your favourite restaurant and tickets for John Legend's concert." He said still smiling. He loved how cute she looked when she was upset. He saw her guard crumble, her anger softening, as she let her arms fell limply to her side and he knew he had won.

"You did?" she asked trying hard not to smile.

"I did." He confirmed with a nod.

"Why didn't you call?" she asked frowning again.

"I had a very busy week at work. I swear the busiest I ever had in my life, I'm sorry babe." He said coming in and finally closing the door.

"But it's too late, we won't make it." She said almost pouting.

"I called the restaurant and delayed our reservation and the concert only starts at 11:30 so we still have time." He said stepping closer to her.

"But I look like a mess." She mumbled Looking at her simple outfit and he smiled softly.

"You never do but we can drop by your apartment and get you changed if you want to."

"And you won't try to distract me while I change my clothes?" she asked slyly, her eyes lightening.

"You won't even notice that I'm there." He murmured coming to stand right in front of her. They were so close now that she could feel his breath on her face. "Happy birthday." He whispered before dipping down and brushing his lips against hers. She smiled against his lips and deepened the kiss.

_You've got this look I can't describe,  
You make me feel like I'm alive,  
When everything else is au fait,  
Without a doubt you're on my side,  
Heaven has been away too long,  
Can't find the words to write this song,  
Oh.,..  
__Your love,_

"You're such a jerk." She grinned when they pulled apart and he laughed.

"You wouldn't have it any other way." He smirked and she giggled.

"You're so fool of yourself. It's sad, really."

"And again, you wouldn't have any other way." He said kissing her cheek.

"Let me say good bye and we can go." She said and he nodded.

"I'll come with you." They made their way to the kitchen, hand in hand, smiling like fools.

"So, I think I'm gonna head out." She said trying to play it cool, reaching for the purse that Libby was handing her. Her friends smiled.

"Hello ladies." Michael waved and they smiled at him as well.

"She's letting you off the hook way to easily." Shannon smirked.

"What can I say? I'm irresistible." He said with a sigh of self esteem and his girlfriend swatted his chest.

"Who said you were off the hook?" she asked with as smirk before waving at her friends. She let her eyes pause on Kate and they shared a smile. A few moments later, the couple was out of the door and on their way to a lovely night. Ana Lucia and Libby soon followed, leaving Sun, Lilly, Claire and Shannon alone with a still upset Kate.

Silence fell again around the kitchen and the women were still looking with concern at Kate.

"Guys, stop looking at me like I might break down, I'm fine." They looked sceptical. "I swear, I'm fine. I think I just need to talk to him."

"You can always talk to us if you want." Lilly assured.

"I know and I will, I promise. I just need to talk with Jack first."

"Understandable." Claire smiled.

"I know I'm not a very talkative person and I know I haven't really opened up to you; I mean you barely know me. But I want you to know that I really appreciate all you've done for me these last six months." Kate said, tears gathering in her eyes again.

"We didn't do anything." Sun said confused.

"You did everything." Kate affirmed. "You offered me something I haven't had in a very long time."

"What?" Shannon asked her eyes soft and concerned.

"A home." She said smiling warmly at them, her voice barely audible. The women looked at her with mirroring smiles and tears forming in their eyes as well. "You guys are my family and I'm sorry I made you feel left aside." She carried on, feeling the need to tell them what she should have told them a long time ago.

"Don't be sorry, we don't know much about your past but we assumed it must have been tough. We understand that it's hard for you and if you need more time, we're totally cool with it." Claire said with a sweet smile before putting an arm around her shoulders encouragingly. Kate smiled at the blonde and felt like a huge weight as been lifted off her shoulders. A weight she's been carrying for way too long.

"Thank you." She said to her friends who smiled in return.

"You're quite welcome." Claire answered, giving a friendly squeeze at her shoulder.

"You're spending way too much time with Charlie." Shannon teased and the air lightened instantaneously.

"Shut up." Claire giggled, finally letting go of Kate's shoulder.

They sat there; teasing each other about their respective lovers before Lilly's cell phone went off, interrupting their banter. She looked down at her purse, debating her options, knowing fully who it was.

"Answer." Kate said firmly but smiling.

"Ok." Lilly retrieved the cell from her purse and answered it before the voicemail got it.

"Hello." She greeted icily. She silently waved at her friends with her free hands, grabbed her purse from the floor and headed toward the door. The rest of the women looked at each other and smiled knowingly.

"I think I'm gonna head home and have some serious mail talk with my hubby." Sun said.

"Yeah and I'm gonna look for Sayid." Shannon groaned.

"I'll go with you, Charlie must be with him." Claire said with a cute blush rising on her cheeks.

"Then I think I should probably go talk to Jack as well." Kate said with a roll of her beautiful green eyes and they all laughed. They all hugged and promised to call to keep the gossip chain going. They exchanged some pleasantries before saying good night and going their separate ways.

Without even thinking Kate headed to the rooftop. She had discovered a few months ago that it was Jack's spot. Whenever he was tired or upset or just needed a quiet place to think he would go up there. He could spend hours there without being disturbed. It had a beautiful view of the city and there were very few people who knew about the place. Kate was one of them and she was the only one who could intrude his peace. She had always loved that he allowed her in his little world; it made her feel very special.

She ran up the stairs and quickly arrived at the heavy door that led to the roof. When she opened it and took a look around herself, she felt her heart burst with emotions. Jack was turning his back to her, standing against the railing, behind a table set up for two with candles, some of which had burned out, flowers and an opened bottle of champagne. On the plates, her favourite meal had been put and she felt a new bash of tears burn her eyes when she realised that he had prepared it. He was still wearing the suite he was wearing during their fight, looking absolutely gorgeous. There was something about men and suits, she always fancied the combination, but it was nothing compared to how sexy and handsome the Dr Jack Shepherd looked when he dressed up nicely.

She could see just by the way he was standing how tense and maybe even upset he still was.

_I have come to understand,  
The way it is,  
It's not a secret anymore,  
'cause we've been through that before,  
From tonight I know that you're the only one,  
I've been confused and in the dark,  
Now I understand_,

"Hey." She whispered softly but he did not turn around.

"Hey." He said just as softly. She shifted awkwardly on her spot before taking careful steps toward him. She came up next to him and looked at the view, just like he was.

"It's beautiful." She said with a weak smile, glancing at him. He had an empty flute of champagne in one hand while the other one was lying on the balustrade. When he did not speak, she carried on. "I think it's the first time anybody did something as sweet to me." He put the glass down and laid his now free hand next to the other. Not a word came out of his mouth. "You really seem to be too good to be true." She finally said after more minutes of silence. He finally looked at her.

"Is this what it's all about?" he asked raising his eyebrows.

"Partly." She tried but he sighed in exasperation.

"I'm sorry Kate, but I think you need to be a little more specific." He said using the condescending tone he used when they were fighting earlier.

"Stop that!" she orders crossing her arms over chest, turning her body to look fully at him.

"Stop what?" he frowned mirroring her posture.

"Stop talking to me as if I was five years old?" she said suddenly more confident and looking in his eyes for the first time since she arrived on the roof. "It's insulting and unnecessary." She finished, not breaking eye contact. His eyes softened and his tensed shoulder visibly relaxed.

"I'm sorry." He said uncrossing his arms.

"It's ok. I'm sorry that I overreacted, I know there is nothing between you and Juliet."

"I just can't understand why you would think I'd do such a thing." His tone was gentle. She fell silent and turned to look at the view again. Silence enveloped them again as she thought of a way to explain what was going through her mind for the last few days. "What's going in that cute little head of yours?" he asked again, gently with a small smile playing on his lips. She smiled at him and let the silence settle again.

"You're my first serious relationship since Tom died." She said after what seemed an eternity. He felt a lump form in his throat but decided not to interrupt her. "In ten days it'll be eight years since he died." She explained and suddenly it was all clear to him.

"I'm sorry, Kate." He said taking her hand in his and lacing their fingers together. She shivered at the touch and leaned closer to him. "I hate that day but it's really weird for me this year because usually I'm alone. Now I have a home, I have a job, I have friends… I have you." She stopped looking up at him and he squeezed her hand. "I didn't want to fight; I just didn't know how to handle it all. I think I've never felt so many opposite and confusing feelings at the same time. Trust isn't my only issue, I'm really not good with the emotional stuff." She said closing her eyes and subconsciously leaning closer to him. He let go of her hand and brought her in the security of his arms. He held her tightly while rubbing slow circles on her back, his chin resting on her head. She snuggled into his chest and let the feeling of him take control of her. She would not admit it just yet but she was fundamentally convinced that there was no better place on earth.

"I told you Kate, there's no pressure in this relationship." He said kissing her hair and she sighed contently.

"I know." She breathed out.

"And, no matter what, you can always come and talk to me."

"It seems to be one of the themes of the night." She said with a smile looking up at him, her chin resting on his chest.

"Is it?"

"Yup, just after the 'Men are jerks' one." She said grinning cheekily and he could not help but laugh. After a few seconds, he sobered up and looked down in her eyes. They held gazes and smiled softly at each other. He leaned down, she tiptoed and they met in a sensual kiss. He groaned when he felt her lick his bottom lip and gladly opened up. He felt her shudder in his arms when he gently nibbled her lower lip and he smirked in the kiss. Her hands went up to his neck, caressing the sensitive area where his adorable baby hair was. She shifted her hips, making them rub against his and she enjoyed the effect she was having on him. He let go of her mouth and dedicated all his oh-so well practiced attention to her neck. She moaned when he reached that specific area just below her right ear he knew drove her crazy and bit the skin there before planting an open mouthed kiss on it. It would probably leave a mark but in her state of mind, she was a millions miles away from that thought now. She squirmed in his arms and wondered how the hell she was still standing. His strong arms wrapped around her slender figure were her answer. He came back to her lips and kissed her tenderly before slowing down and pulling away. She moaned at the loss of contact and he grinned.

"Hmmm." He murmured looking deeply in her eyes and she felt herself blush under his gaze.

"Yeah…" she trailed off, out of breath. "That was… um good." She said smiling shyly, chewing on her lower lip.

"No argument." He said pecking her lips which were now swollen.

"Am I dreaming?" she asked and he smiled.

"I hope not." He said and they laughed together softly.

"You really are too good to be true." And she witnessed as his eyes filled with an emotion nobody ever directed toward her except Tom. Even at the time, it was not shinning as intensely as it was now in Jack's beautiful eyes. She recognised it immediately. Sayid and Shannon looked at each other like that, Charlie would look at Claire in that way when he thought nobody was watching him and even Sawyer would let it show from time to time when Lilly was seating in his lap. Jack opened his mouth to speak but she beat him. "I love you." She whispered, looking intently in his eyes. She heard his intake of breath and watched as his eyes closed. He leaned his forehead against hers and nudged his nose to hers. Slowly he reclaimed her lips again and it felt like a whole new world opened in front of her closed eyes. It really felt like it was their first kiss. All the built up anxiousness, all the expectations, all their fears flew out of the roof as they kissed with more tenderness and gentleness than either one of them as ever experienced. He pulled back and she smiled her eyes still closed.

"I love you too." He breathed and kissed her cheek. She brought her arms back around his shoulder and she buried her head in his neck.

_Just like a star across my sky,  
Just like an angel off the page,  
You have appeared to my life,  
Feel like I'll never be the same,  
Just like a song in my heart,  
Just like oil on my hands_

"Happy anniversary." She said smiling against his skin and he tightened his arms around her waist.

A/N: here you go folks, chapter 16!!!!!! Yay! I'm pretty proud of it. It took a week to write it but I haven't had so much fun in a long time. I hope you liked it as well, please leave a review to let me know. I would especially like to know what you thought of the Jate part in the end. Hope it wasn't too cheesy.

Also, I wanted to say that I'm really sorry and pissed that Charlie was killed off the show. He used to annoy me sometimes but he still was one of my favourites. Apart from that, they gave us one mother of a finale! I can't wait for February! It seems way too long of a wait.

Anyway, please review and** Kate**, I hope you liked it.


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